My Foolish Heart
by dibdab4
Summary: Promises are often hard to keep, especially when the past and possibilities for the future collide. Set in the universe of Lesley Manville and Peter Mullan's Mum, Elsie Burn's life is complicated to say the least. Charles Carson is offering a steady hand, but is she willing to take it? *T* for now...
1. Always

_Not exactly a crossover, but this piece is basically Chelsie set in the world of Lesley Manville_ _and Peter Mullan_ _'_ _s marvelous Mum. Some unconventional and certainly non-canon romantic and familial connections in this, but the dispositions of particular characters seem to serve my purposes best in this configuration._

 _Thank you in advance for giving it a chance_ _…_

* * *

The sun had been up for three hours, Elsie Burns for six. Showered and dressed in a simple black skirt and charcoal gray sweater set, she shuffled about the kitchen in well-worn slippers that were dusted with a thin coat of flour, baking not exactly her métier, but a means of killing a few hours after her brain refused the opportunity of more sleep.

The top layer was slightly off-center, but she was feeling quite pleased with the look of her Victoria sponge when she heard the chime of her phone from the entry.

Careful not to displace the icing sugar newly poured into a large sifter as she gently set it on a tea towel, she licked her fingers on her way to the front table where she unplugged her old android from its charger and entered the code which allowed her to access a message from Molesley and Son's Funeral Home and Crematorium.

Half leaning, half perching on the table, she held her breath as she opened the text which contained a photo image of an embossed card.

 _Joseph Reresby Burns_

 _May 1, 1956_ _–_ _March 15, 2017_

 _Beloved husband of Elsie, father of Atticus_ _"_ _Gus,_ _"_

 _and son of Michael and Josephine_

 _Service and Cremation Saturday, March 18, 2017_

 _Molesley and Son_ _'_ _s Funeral Home and Crematorium_

 _Order of Service_

 _Processional... The Dark Island_

 _Scripture... John 14: 1-3_

 _Prayer ...Rev. Albert Travis_

 _Obituary... Charles Carson_

 _Robert Burns_ _'_ _Epitaph On My Own Friend... Charles Carson_

 _Hymn... The Lord Is My Shepherd_

 _Eulogy... Rev. Albert Travis_

 _Recessional... I To the Hills Will Lift Up My Eyes_

 _Please join the family for a celebration of_

 _Joe_ _'_ _s life at The Lion_ _'_ _s Head Public House following the service_

The first draft of the order of service had "Atticus" spelled with one "t," which in her exhausted and emotionally-spent state Elsie had missed, but luckily Charles had been at the house when it arrived, and his discerning eye had picked up on the error.

 _Charles Carson_. She let her eyes linger upon his name. On reflection she didn't know how she would have managed for not only over the past few days, but the previous two years had it not been for their old friend Charlie. He had spent almost as much time as the hospital as she and Gus had and had even carried her exhausted body in from the car after he drove she and Gus home the night Joe had passed.

Scanning back over the order, a wave of dread and uncertainty overtook her, and she had to grasp the edge of the table behind her to keep her knees from buckling under her. It was really happening.

Waking alone at three hadn't felt unusual; she'd awoken alone more often than not over the past six months, and Joe hadn't left the hospital in the last two, but the early hour and stillness of the house intensified a feeling of emptiness and she had forced herself to get up in order to fill the first few hours with distractions in the forms of tedious chores she normally would have put-off. That middle-of-the-night emptiness, however, was nothing compared to the abject despair she now felt as her eyes passed over the small black squiggles that formed the words: _beloved, cremation, obituary,_ and _eulogy_.

Replying: _Looks v. nice. Thnx Joe,_ she returned her phone to the charger, dusted the cake, and then found yet another distraction by making a mug of tea, more milk and sugar than tea, in truth, but it was the way Gus liked it. Arriving at his bedside, she was leaning over to kiss his forehead when she caught sight of a lined notepad that had the words "Dear Dad," written across the top. Turning her head away quickly, she tried to ignore a sudden pain in her chest as she set the mug down before retreating to the bathroom across the hall where she splashed her face with cold water and waited for the large lump in her throat to disappear.

Straightening up, it took her a moment to recognize the woman in the reflection of the mirror. The sparkle in her deep blue eyes seemed to have dimmed over the last few months in tandem with Joe's lifeforce, and her Scottish peaches and cream complexion was pallid, her face drawn from a lack of both appetite and sleep over the previous weeks.

Running her fingers through her hair, she sighed, still unused to her new haircut, but having neglected her long auburn locks for so long, she had no choice but to have a great deal of the length cut off the day before. The styling was less demanding but felt foreign as she wrestled with the small flat iron the girl had convinced her to buy to create gentle waves, and after fifteen minutes and a sense of surrender, she gave up the battle and decided it was as good as it was going to get.

An application of under-eye concealer over her dark circles, she then applied tinted moisturizer, some powder and blush, and was brushing on a coat of water-proof mascara when the bell rang for the first of several times that day. Gus still snoring away, she rushed down the stairs and opened the door on the third ring where she was met by a brown-paper wrapped bunch of flowers in the hands of a young woman with a pronounced overbite and an overly-sympathetic smile that didn't strike her as particularly genuine.

"Flower delivery!"

Taking a deep breath, she fought the profound desire to respond with, "No shit, Sherlock," but summoned a modicum of control and simply replied, "Thank you."

The smile on the girl shifted from sympathetic to maudlin as she offered, "Try to have a good day, love," before turning back towards the street.

Her hands now filled with a mix of Casa Blanca lilies and eucalyptus stems, she closed her eyes and found solace in fantasizing about beating the retreating blonde about the head with the bouquet.

The sound of footsteps thumping down the stairs behind her drew her from her thoughts and she turned just in time to see all six feet of her sleepy son arrive at the bottom dressed in nothing but his boxer briefs and a red Polo shirt.

Watching him rub his eyes with the palms of his hand just as his father had done so often during their married life, she had to swallow hard before offering a cheerful, "Good morning, love."

Her instinct was to wrap her arms around him and inhale the unique scent that was equal parts fabric softener, milky tea, some ridiculously named soap like _Slam_ or _Grind_ he was currently using, as well as that indefinable hint of something that reminded her immediately of Joe, however, she refrained from pulling him to her as she thought she might not be able to let go if she did.

"You alright, Mum?"

"Yeah. Fine, sweetheart." Doing her best to maintain a light tone, she made her way into the kitchen where she set the bouquet on the floor next to two similar ones and a large potted geranium received late the day before; their predecessors lining the mantle, table tops, and anywhere else she could find a place.

Gus had followed behind and with the jug of milk from the refrigerator now in his hand, he was lifting it to his lips when she quickly supplied an empty pint glass which earned her a toothy grin.

"I thought it might have been Rose at the door."

Elsie had been eager to meet the young woman he had been seeing for the past two months, although she would have preferred that their first encounter not be the day of Joe's funeral.

"No. Just more flowers. We've no more room. If anymore come I'll have to start putting them in the garden. What in the world are we going to do with them all?"

A biscuit in his mouth, he gave his shoulders a shrug. "Maybe Gran and Granddad will take some?"

"Maybe." A sly smile accompanied, "You know whatever I offer will make your Gran either sneeze or itch or both."

"Yeah."

Their exchange of knowing smiles was interrupted by the bell which inspired Gus to quickly lope towards the front door as he spied a petite figure on the other side of the beveled glass.

"That's her! She's here!" he excitedly called over his shoulder.

Watching him move so eagerly, she remembered the sight of a four-year-old Gus running full speed down the same corridor at the sound of his father's key in the lock at the end of the day and had to bite her lip for a second before managing a bright smile on her way towards the young couple at the front door.

"Rose, this is my mum, Elsie."

"So nice to meet/Hi! I'm so happy…"

Elsie's extended hand met Rose's middle as the beautiful blonde surprised her by leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"Sorry!/Sorry!"

Embarrassed smiles were exchanged between the women as they shared a slightly awkward hug.

Giggling, Rose cried, "I never know exactly when to do that, the kissy cheek thing. So sorry!"

Elsie reached out and squeezed her arm; her immediate impression being that Rose MacClare was a vibrant, pretty young woman, and that her son was clearly crazy about her.

"It's very nice to meet you, Rose. I just wish it were under different circumstances."

"Oh, yes. I'm so sorry he's…that you're…you know…about him dying and…"

Putting the young woman out of her misery, Elsie interrupted, "Yes, thank you, dear. That's very kind."

"Sorry. That wasn't…I practiced on the way over. I wanted to say the right…I'm sorry. I'm just not good with…and my mum always says if I had a brain I'd be dangerous, well, but I want you to…anyway…I'm…"

"You're very sweet, Rose. Don't worry about the words. We're just happy you're here."

The girl looked as though she might cry as she let out the breath she had been holding.

"Come on. I'll show you the kitchen." Gus wrapped an arm around Rose's shoulder, giving his mum an appreciative look over his shoulder.

Moving to check her phone, Elsie couldn't help but grin as she heard Rose whisper to Gus, "I think your mum is the nicest person I've ever met."

* * *

"Uncle Richard and Ros are here!" Gus called up the stairs to where Elsie was sitting at her vanity for no other reason than to escape the very chatty Rose who had spent twenty minutes describing the only other funeral she had ever attended which had been for her dog.

A warm man by nature, her brother was still nursing the broken heart he had suffered decades ago while in medical school when a young nurse-in-training had spurned his affections. Dropping out of school, he had opted for a chiropractic course, and after a series of failed romances over the years, he was currently with the soon-to-be-divorced Rosamunde whose wealthy, philandering husband had dumped her abruptly and the only way the woman had found to console herself was to belittle those around her.

The news of her brother and his partner arriving had renewed the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, and after whispering "fuck me," Elsie forced herself to make the trip downstairs.

"If it isn't Queen Elsie of the faerie folk!"

Richard had greeted her in this manner for as long as she could remember, and the warmth of his embrace was welcome, although the sensation didn't last long as she met the cool smile of his partner behind him.

"Hello, Rosamunde. Thank you for coming."

The tall red-head was sleek as an eel in head-to-toe black, including an obnoxiously tiny hat which was far more formal than the woman knew was called for.

"Oh, you're welcome. Looks like we're a bit early. You haven't finished your make-up."

Any hope Elsie held that Rosamunde would be on her best behavior was lost, and although her teeth were already on edge after only a few seconds in the woman's company, for her brother's sake she smiled and gestured toward the kitchen. "Let me make you a cup of tea."

"Is it from a pot?"

Elsie closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to answer, "Afraid I just have tea bags."

Her nose scrunched up in a sneer, the woman shook her head. "Oh, well. Don't bother."

"I've a pot of coffee."

"Free trade?"

Elsie frowned and glanced over her shoulder, "I don't know. Sainsbury's?"

The sneer now having shifted to a look of complete disappointment, Rosamunde glanced over at the cake. "Victoria sponge?"

"Yes!" Relieved to escape the beverage belittling, she began to cut them each a piece and waited until Rosamunde had a full bite in her mouth before informing her, "I made it myself this morning."

The look on the woman's pinched face was priceless, and Elsie had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep a giggle at bay as she watched her struggle to force the bite down her throat.

* * *

It was cold, but clear and for that Charles Carson gave thanks.

"You deserved a nice day, mate," he whispered as he approached the tidy front door of the brick semi which was as familiar to him as his own home on the far side of town.

He ran his free hand down the front of his coat and gave a last glance to the large bouquet of lilies and white roses in his other assuring himself he hadn't lost the small card with Elsie's name written across the front.

Swallowing hard, he was lifting his hand to ring the bell when the door suddenly opened and he was greeted by the surprised faces of Gus and a young woman he immediately assumed was the famous Rose the young man had been seeing.

"Charlie! Didn't know you were here. I was just getting my shoes out of the car."

"Ah, well, I was just about to ring." Charles turned his attention to a smiling Rose and offered his hand. "Hello, Charles Carson."

"Hello, Charles Carson." She gave his hand a polite shake which was accompanied by a giggle before she turned to Gus. "He does have crazy eyebrows!"

"Rose!" Gus tugged playfully on her arm as he laughed.

Her face was colored with panic as she turned back to Charles. "Sorry! I'm sorry! He just told me you had these crazy eyebrows and you do. I mean, they're really…they're cool…really, umm…bushy."

Knowing the woman meant no offense, he joined in their laughter, his eyebrows having long been a source of good-hearted teasing from both Joe and Gus over the years he took her comment in his stride. "It's fine. Keep the rain out of my eyes."

The young people continued to laugh before Rose's face suddenly grew solemn as she placed a gentle hand on Charles' arm. "I'm really sorry about your dead friend."

'Oh, well, yes. Um, thank you." Charles was at a loss of how to respond to the abrupt statement.

"You know, I've only been to one other funeral besides this and it was for my dog."

Charles shot Gus a questioning look but was only met with a shrug before the young man slipped past them to retrieve his shoes, leaving Charles to endure Rose's rabbiting on about her now departed chihuahua.

* * *

Her uncomfortable small talk with Richard and Rosamunde having dwindled into an even more uncomfortable silence, Elsie was relieved when the couple finally drifted into the sunroom on the back of the house, no doubt for the snotty woman to scrutinize, and most certainly criticize Elsie's outfit, cooking, furniture, and every other aspect of her life, but she was grateful for a few peaceful moments to load the dishwasher. Soap added, she was pushing the start button when she heard the front door open and Gus call out: "Mum! Charlie's here!"

He didn't know why but he suddenly felt strange about giving her the flowers in front of the others, so he stashed them on the table in the entry as he wiped his feet while also craning his neck to catch sight of her.

Although he was stood at the other end of the house, the presence of the large man inspired in her a sense of calm and she felt some of the tension in her shoulders subside as she saw him through the kitchen doorway.

He was lifting his hand to greet her when Gus called out, "Gran and Grandad are here!"

Glancing into the sunroom to find Rosamunde's scowl still in place as she picked through a small candy dish, Elsie decided her in-laws were the lesser of two evils and made her way towards the open front door where she met Gus and Charles helping the elderly couple up the drive.

"Good morning, Josie. How are you?"

"Everything hurts, Elsie, and my bowels haven't moved in three days."

"Oh, well, sorry to hear that."

Michael was trailing behind his grandson and wife, a frown on his face as he muttered, "Don't listen to her, Elsie-love. Old and fat. That's all that's wrong with her and she's as regular as the gas bill."

"Shut up, old man!"

Elsie lifted her eyebrows and exchanged an amused look with Charlie as Gus led his grandparents into the front room. "And we're off!" she whispered with a laugh as she reached out and gave his arm a squeeze.

"Are you alright?"

His deep voice was soothing, the proximity of his body's warmth a welcome presence in the small entry.

"Fine, I'm fine, thanks."

He was reaching for the bouquet but stopped as she turned from just inside the front room and called over her shoulder, "Well, come on then. Don't desert me in my time of need."

There was a sense of jest in her whispered words but in truth that was exactly why he had turned up at the house instead of just meeting them at the crematorium. Standing in the doorway, the continued moans of Josephine Burns and her husband's muttered jibes, as well as Gus trying to introduce Rose went unheard as his thoughts returned to the last time he had seen Joe alive.

" _You_ _'_ _ll take care of them, won_ _'_ _t you, Charlie? Watch over Gus and be there for her? Be there for Elsie?_ _"_

 _It was a small hospital room, but thankfully private given that the doctor had encouraged them all to try to find time to say what they needed to as Joe_ _'_ _s body had begun to shut down._

 _Elsie and Gus had slipped home to take a quick nap and shower before returning to continue their vigil and Charles had promised not to leave Joe_ _'_ _s side until they returned._

 _His attention having been occupied by a muted cricket match on the television in the corner of the hospital room while Joe had been sleeping for the previous half-hour, his friend_ _'_ _s weak voice caught him by surprise._

" _What_ _'_ _s that, mate?_ _"_

" _Elsie and Gus. You_ _'_ _ll take care of them for me, won_ _'_ _t you? I know Gus is grown, but I think he might be lost for a bit. You_ _'_ _ll watch over him for me, won_ _'_ _t you?_ _"_

" _Of course. Of course, I will. Always, Joe._ _"_

 _The men had been friends since they were boys, but demonstrable emotion and affection had never had a place in their relationship, so he was surprised when Joe reached out towards him._

 _Charles had always been the larger of the two, but only by a couple of inches in height and usually only a stone or so in weight, but cancer had so ravaged Joe_ _'_ _s body that his hand disappeared when wrapped in the warm, fleshy paw of his friend._

" _You_ _'_ _ve always been so good about her._ _"_

 _His pulse sped up as he considered the words Joe had chosen. Not once in the history of their friendship had either acknowledged that Charles had anything but platonic feelings for Elsie, and while it had been a true struggle, he had prided himself on never having let down his guard. He tried to keep his voice light as he quickly responded,_ _"_ _About Elsie? She_ _'_ _s a wonderful person. I hope I have been good to her._ _"_

 _A weak smile found its way onto Joe_ _'_ _s face as he gave his hairless head a slight shake._ _"_ _Not to. About. You_ _'_ _ve always been so respectful. So unselfish._ _"_

" _I think this might be your meds talking._ _"_

 _Joe_ _'_ _s smile reappeared._ _"_ _I_ _'_ _m lucid, Charles. Maybe more so than ever. And this is important._ _"_

"Earth to Charles."

He gave his head a small shake and smiled with a bit of embarrassment as he looked over to find Elsie grinning brightly at him from across the room before turning to the others.

"I'm headed to the kitchen. Would anyone like a cup of tea? Coffee?"

His sense of chivalry kicked in and he gently chided, "You don't need to get it. Let me." He turned to the other side of the room. "Josie? Michael? You two?"

Gus and Rose declined the offer, but Josie and Michael were quick to accept and were delighted to hear there was cake on offer, as well.

"And you, Elsie?"

She shook her head, "I'm fine, but you'll not be able to carry it all. I'll come with you."

A mischievous smile thrown his way as she led the way towards the kitchen, she stopped just before they reached the door and offered over her shoulder, "Rose, love, perhaps you could tell Josie and Michael about your dog."

"That was cruel," he whispered down into her ear as they entered the kitchen.

"Cruel? Me? _You_ tried to rob me of my chance to escape! The whole reason I offered tea was to get away from George and Martha in there."

Charles couldn't help but smile at her mention of the nicknames he, she, and Joe had often used for the constantly bickering elder Burns in reference to the caustic characters played by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in the old film _Who_ _'_ _s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?_

"Sorry. You know I'm not always the best about picking up cues."

"Maybe we need a sign or a code word."

He couldn't help but admire her pluck during such a trying time. "A code word?"

"Yes, like if I get stuck and want to escape I would say "bananas" and you would tell me I was wanted in the other room."

He laughed. "People might think you _are_ bananas if you just blurt the word out of nowhere."

"Well, not "bananas" then. What's your suggestion?"

Smiling as she was, he caught a glimpse of the joyful woman she had been before Joe's diagnosis, and after a few moments he realized he was staring, Fighting desperately to cover, he managed, "Uh, um…just…just give your ear a tug. If I see you tug on your ear, I'll know to come to your rescue."

"My hero. Alright. Ear tug it is," she agreed as she filled the electric kettle before pulling mugs down from a shelf. "So, Rose."

"Ah, yes." They shared knowing smiles, their mutual impression of the girl clear. He turned to make sure no one was near before continuing. "She seems very sweet. Chatty, but sweet, and Gus is obviously quite smitten."

"He is. More so than with other girls, I think, and yes, yes she is very chatty. She told you about her…"

"The dog? Oh, yes. I have heard all about Mr. Bubbles."

Her lip began to twitch and she threw her hand over her mouth as she fought not to laugh. "Bless. The poor wee thing went through chemo…"

Struggling himself, he added, "And then they attached it to a little wagon after its back legs were removed."

Both gave up the fight, the kitchen filled with their laughter.

"Oh, poor Mr. Bubbles," Elsie whispered. "We are terrible people. You know that, don't you?"

They had each almost regained their composure when she suddenly cried out, "But then the very next day he got hit by pensioner on a motorized scoot-" Her voice was high, the words fighting their way through her hysterical laughter as she bent over while Charles rested heavily against the counter, each of them fighting to catch their breath.

"Oh, I needed that," she choked out using the tea towel to wipe away the first joyful tears her eyes had known in quite some time before handing him a cup of tea only for them each to burst into a new fit of giggles. "We have to stop. Laughing on a day like today. People will think I've lost my mind. Let's change the subject. How's your mum?"

"That is a change of subject. You'll give me whiplash."

"Oh stop."

"Alright, alright. She's fine. The rain worsens her arthritis and she doesn't exercise like she's supposed to since that heart attack, but she's sharp as a tack and always asks after you," he answered while cutting pieces of her Victoria sponge.

"That's kind of her."

"She's taken this hard. You know Joe was like a second son to her. I told her there was no need for her to get out, but she insisted so I'm going to swing by and pick her up on my way to the funeral home."

She had assumed he was going with them in one of the funeral cars, so the fact that he picking-up his mother meant he had made a trip all the way across town to visit her before the service. Touched by his sweetness, she was moving to give him a hug when Richard suddenly appeared in the doorway from the sunroom.

"Mr. Carson! Nice to see you, to see you nice!" A buoyant Richard offered his hand before launching into a tirade about a recent rugby match.

Carrying a tray with the cake and tea for the elders in the front room, Elsie slipped past the men which didn't go unobserved by Charles whose chest tightened as she rounded the corner and out of view.

Noticing Charles' focus, Richard commented, "She seems okay, don't you think? I wasn't sure what to expect today, but she's really holding it together."

Both men jumped at the sound of Rosamunde's harsh voice. "Well, it isn't like she didn't know it was coming. Took forever, didn't he? I mean he did…linger."

Rosamunde's words still hanging in the air, Charles' hands curled into fists as he fought the desire not to drag the stick of a woman outside and throw her over the garden gate. For the life of him he couldn't understand why such a decent man as Richard put up with such a harridan for a partner.

The men exchanged worried looks as Elsie returned with an empty tray, each concerned she had overheard the indelicate remark.

"What did I miss?"

"We were discussing your garden," Rosamunde quickly lied. "It's actually quite nice for a house like this."

Standing at the sink with her back to the others, Elsie rolled her eyes as she answered, "Thank you, Roz."

"You never did get that pond you wanted, did you?" Richard stepped next to his sister and gave her elbow a gentle squeeze as they both looked out at the green space beyond the window.

"No, no we never got around to it."

"A pond? What? A little puddle, a bench, and some goldfish? I've always found those artificial things a bit tacky."

 _Count to three_ _…_ Elsie took a deep breath before returning a simple, "Oh, well, Roz, it doesn't really matter now."

"Love, you want a step outside? Get some air?" Richard moved swiftly, his hand going to her elbow as he ushered her towards the front of the house, and after they had cleared the doorway, Charles closed both doors leading out of the kitchen before moving to Elsie's side at the sink.

He noticed her knuckles were white as she gripped the countertop and he had to fight the urge to rest his hand atop hers while offering a low, "Coast is clear. You can let loose."

One side of her mouth curled as she continued to gaze out into the garden. "If only."

"Go on. It's just me. Just old Charlie to hear."

The smell of Joe's clothes in the wardrobe next to hers as she dressed that morning, the sight of their wedding picture on her vanity as she slipped on the locket he had given her on her fortieth birthday, all the memories that waited ready to pounce from around every corner of the house they had shared for twenty years, surrounded all morning by all of these things, she had somehow managed to keep her composure until this moment.

"Bloody hell, Charlie. I thought I was ready. I've kept it inside, but I've been through it all in my head, over and over." Her eyes were squeezed shut, her grip on the counter growing impossibly tighter as she continued, "You know, he never said it out loud, never would admit it and so I didn't either, not out loud, but I knew. Ever since that first day he went to the doctors I knew. I don't think he believed he could, that he ever really would...even at the end, the last thing he said to me was 'just gonna rest my eyes for a bit, Els.' Her bottom lip was trembling, tears escaping as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Only, I knew…but I'd been through it with my parents, and then all those years with Becky and hospitals, hadn't I? And that was hard but I made it through, so this should be…" She reached out with one hand, twisting the thick fabric of his coat between her fingers, desperate for something on which to hold. "But it isn't. I mean I read all the, you know, the things and joined the online, the support things, bought the vitamins for him they said to and got soft pajamas and warm socks for the cold hospital room..."

He held his breath to keep his own emotions in check as he watched her fall apart, and although every cell in his body was calling for him to wrap his arms around her, he knew if he did she would collapse completely.

Letting go of his sleeve, she turned and let her lower back rest against the counter, one hand sliding up her throat unconsciously willing the lump there to go away. "I've prepared for this, been preparing for this for so…but I just miss him so much. Not the Joe in the hospital, but the Joe who made me laugh…and if he were here now, the three of us, we'd be laughing about...and bloody Rosamunde. My God! Why am I letting _her_ get to me?" A mirthless laugh escaped as she spun around and focused on nothing specific in the distance. "It's just Rosamunde. Jesus, I mean I know she thinks she's posh, and if Joe had done to me what her ex had done to her…but Christ, she's a fucking twat."

His movements were efficient and purposeful as he pulled a glass from the cabinet and then a bottle of scotch from the shelf on the other side of the kitchen as she continued to speak.

"And Josie and Michael. Their only son is dead and yet they still manage to whittle away at one another just like its any other day." She turned, her address halting his actions. "It's not normal, Charlie. How can they…I'd give my right arm just for one more minute, for one more smile…"

She wrapped her arms around her middle to hold herself together as she shook with sobs.

Three fingers poured into the glass, he quickly moved to her side and lifted the drink to her lips. "Here, drink this. Just take a sip. Just a sip."

The liquid hit her tongue with a pleasant sting and she felt the tension in her shoulders ease as she swallowed. "Sorry...that was…how embarrassing. I shouldn't have…"

He shook his head as he offered another sip which was gratefully accepted. "Don't apologize for a thing. You have every right to say whatever you want and you may not think so, but you are doing so well, so well. He'd be so proud."

She held the whiskey in her mouth, her throat suddenly tightening.

Cursing himself, he scrambled for something to say to lighten the mood.

"And you're right, by the way. She is a fucking twat."

The coarsest things she'd ever heard Charles say in all their years together were a few tipsy "bloodies" and one "damn" when he'd brought a hammer down on his thumb when he and Joe had been putting together a swing set for Gus, so his recitation of her own heated words made her smile. She was reaching out for his hand when there was a knock on the door leading to the front of the house.

"Mum? Charlie? The hearse is here."

He watched her lips purse as she shifted her gaze back towards the garden.

"Be right there," he called before stepping up behind her and slipping his handkerchief into her hand. "You can do this. You can do this for Gus."

Wiping her eyes and nose, she turned to look up at him. "How?'

"You put one foot in front of the other and if you feel overwhelmed, I'm here. I know I'm not much to look at, but I'm fairly solid so you can lean on me and you can always hold my hand if you need to feel steady."

"I don't deserve you, Charlie. You've been so good…" Her fingertips brushed over the place on his sleeve she had so desperately gripped before, but she quickly withdrew her hand as Gus suddenly opened the door.

"Mum?"

Giving her head a little shake, she managed a small smile. "Right there, love. You alright?"

There was a sadness in his own smile, but he nodded. "Yeah."

"Rose alright?"

"Yeah." He began to turn away, but looked back over his shoulder and asked, "You do like her, don't you, Mum?"

"Very much, sweetheart, I like her very much."

"And you, Charlie?"

Charles was both surprised and touched that Gus wanted his approval.

"She's lovely, mate. Like a bit of sunshine on a dark day."

Gus' chest expanded with pride. "Can I tell her you said that? It'll make her so happy."

"Of course, but you don't have to tell her _I_ said it."

The young man's smile grew as Charles' meaning dawned. "Thanks, Charlie. You're the best."

"Like I said, we don't deserve you." She whispered as they watched Gus round the bannister, his quick steps thudding up the stairs.

He broke the quiet that had settled between them. "I should make a move and get my mum. You'll be alright with Josie and Michael? If not, I'm sure Joe Molesley would take them on to the crematorium and come back for you and Gus if you want."

"No need. I'll manage, but it does help to know you'll be nearby."

"Of course." He was almost out of the room when he turned back to her, "I'm on your side. You know that, right?"

His scent invading her senses as she used his handkerchief once more, she gave him a grateful nod. "I do."

* * *

"Just a moment. Forgot my gloves."

Gus and Rose helping his grandparents into the funeral car, Elsie slipped back into the house and was grabbing her gloves from the table when a large bouquet of flowers caught her eye. "Goodness. More flowers?" Leaning over to smell the lilies and roses, she found herself staring at a small envelope with her name on it. Gloves tucked under her arm, she pulled out a small piece of cardstock, something pulling in her chest as she read the words:

 _I_ _'_ _m here. Anytime. Anyplace. Anywhere._

 _-Charles_

* * *

" _You_ _'_ _ve always been so good about her._ _"_

" _About Elsie? She_ _'_ _s a wonderful person. I hope I have been good to her._ _"_

" _Not to. About. You_ _'_ _ve always been so respectful. So unselfish._ _"_

" _I think this might be your meds talking._ _"_

" _I_ _'_ _m lucid, Charles. Maybe more so than ever. And this is important. I know you love her._ _"_

" _She_ _'_ _s my friend. Both of you, you_ _'_ _re my friends. I love you both._ _"_

" _No. You_ _'_ _re in love_ _with her. You always have been._ _"_

" _Joe_ _…"_

" _If she can return it and you can make her happy, I want that for you. Want that for you both._ _"_

" _You are on some strong medicine-_ _"_

" _Be happy, Charles. Make her happy._ _"_

* * *

 _So, whatcha think? I have more in mind..._


	2. I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Though he felt slightly awkward, and more than a little guilty about what he had cancelled in order to make his impromptu trip to the primary school, he tried to convince himself that he just looked like a grandfather waiting to pick up his grandchild parked among minivans and station wagons that mid-April afternoon.

Ignoring his phone's vibrating buzz in his pocket, he craned his neck just in time to see a smiling Elsie make her way into view while holding the hand of a five-year-old little boy who had been blessed with a wonderfully wide grin and an extra chromosome.

Rolling down his window, he heard her say, "I hope the Easter bunny brings you lots and lots of candy, Noah," before exchanging waves with the departing child and his mother, and it was as she was pulling her sunglasses from her bag that he called out, "Excuse me, miss, but would you care for a ride?"

The sunny spring weather that was heralding in the Easter break from school had inspired a happy mood in most of the teachers and students at the primary at which Elsie was a special needs aide, and she herself was no exception. The surprise turn-up of Charles only cheered her more and there was a distinct bounce in her step as she made her way towards his waiting Volvo.

"Miss, eh?" She made her way to his window. "Do you often drive around offering women rides, Mr. Carson?"

Joe had called her "Miss Sassy Pants" when she was in this sort of mood, and until now, he had feared she had lost that bit of playfulness, the alter ego having not made an appearance since Joe's health had taken a turn the Christmas before last.

"Hardly. Only one woman. Get in and I'll buy you an ice cream."

She was laughing as she climbed into the car. "If I were about fifty years younger this would be very creepy."

"Stop teasing me or I'll rescind my offer."

"Alright, alright. What are you doing on this side of town?"

If he were honest, he'd have to admit that he had had plans to meet someone nearby, but realizing he was close to Elsie's school at around the time she was due to leave for the day, he had made the selfish choice to cancel at the last minute in favor of taking a chance on seeing her. Knowing he couldn't admit this, he simply added to the guilt he was already feeling and told a white lie involving some supplies he'd picked up at a garden center earlier in the day.

"I had to pick up some guttering nearby and finished up about the time I figured you were getting out of school, so thought I might see if you wanted to grab a cup of coffee, although now that I mentioned ice cream, I want that."

"Ice cream and coffee both sound wonderful, and guttering, eh? Were you in desperate need of guttering? Is there a guttering emergency at Chez Carson?" She glanced up at him from the corner of her eye, pleased to see he was smiling, but just as quickly as her pleasure came, a deep blush covered her cheeks and her smile disappeared as she mentally chastised herself: _Dear God! You are flirting! FLIRTING! Flirting with Charles Carson. He's your husband's best friend, for heaven's sake. Get a hold of yourself, girl_.

The change in her expression didn't go amiss, and his heart sunk as he noticed her bright smile had suddenly disappeared. Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "So, how are Gus and Rose?"

He had made a wise subject choice and a bit of the smile returned to her face as she answered, "They are very happy. Very young, very happy, and having a great deal of sex in the room across the hall from mine." She giggled as he cringed, which if she had been forced to admit it, was a large part of the reason she had added the bit about the sex.

"Oh, dear."

"Oh, yes."

"How unpleasant."

"Not from the sound of it."

His cheeks were instantly red as he sputtered, "Good Lord, Elsie!"

"Sorry, it's a compulsion, making you squirm."

He sighed dramatically as he shook his head, although in truth he adored the attention, so he stuck to the subject as he pulled the car into a spot at the front of a small café. "So their doing…t _hat…_ Are you concerned they might get caught out?"

"No, not-" She had answered while bending over to retrieve her pocket book from inside her tote bag at her feet but stopped as she looked up to find him moving quickly around the front of the car to get her door, and she let out a gentle huff which was followed by, "You are the last of your breed, Charles Carson."

His efforts earned him her brightest smile and he returned it as he offered a hand to assist her out before following her towards the restaurant where they stepped inside to witness a group of teenagers giving the a waiter, a teenager himself, a hard time as they purposefully dropped pieces of cutlery on the floor for the tall, ginger-headed boy to pick-up, which then gave them the opportunity to throw chips at his bum.

He followed her to the back of the room, pleased she had chosen a small table which would allow them a little privacy and a modicum of quiet away from rowdy group they had just passed.

He let out a sigh of disgust. "Poor lad. Why do kids behave like that? Gus wouldn't have done that when he was in school."

She sighed, grateful to see a few of the more disruptive boys collecting their things and leaving. "I think they are going, thank goodness."

Relieved to see she was right, he once again broached the subject of their earlier conversation. "So why aren't you worried about Gus and Rose making little Guses and Roses?"

She glanced up from the little menu in front of her, "Little Guses and Roses, Lord help us."

"You know what I mean."

Setting her menu down, she nodded, "I do, and I'm not worried because, well you see, my son isn't the tidiest of souls and I have picked up more than a few little foil packets from the floor around his bed."

It took him a moment to realize she was talking about condoms, which brought on a cringe. "I know he's a grown man, but in my mind, I can't help but see a five-year-old in wellies jumping into mud puddles."

"Oh, I think he'd still do that if given the chance," She laughed just as the waiter stepped up, his freckled face still red with embarrassment from his treatment by the other kids.

Elsie made a point of reading his name tag and then gave Charles a quick wink before she began to ask the young man a series of questions, beginning with how old he was (eighteen), when was his birthday (July sixteenth), what was his favorite flavor of ice cream, what was his mum's favorite flavor of ice cream (pistachio), what was his girlfriend's favorite (he didn't have one), what was his boyfriend's favorite (chocolate mint), his favorite color (green like the grass of summer), his favorite Christmas song (the one about the little boy with a drum), and if he could go on a trip anywhere in the world where would he go (Fiji, whichhe had heard was paradise).

The pleasant interrogation having come to an end, a bright smile was now in the place of the frown on the waiter's face.

"Thank you for indulging me, Sam, now I'll have a small dish of chocolate ice cream, please, and a cup of coffee." She looked across the table and prompted, "Charlie, what'll you have?"

If anyone ever asked what made him love her as he did, he could easily offer the previous minute as an example. Joy coloring his face he simply said, "The same please."

Sam was still grinning brightly as he jotted down some scratchings on his pad. "Anything else?"

"Not for me. Excuse me, gentlemen." Elsie gracefully slipped from the table and across the room to the restrooms.

"Is your wife like that all the time?" Sam asked Charles as they each looked in the direction of where she had disappeared.

The word "wife" throwing him a bit off-kilter, Charles' look back at the young man was one of puzzlement.

"Oh, I didn't mean anything by it. I just meant is she, well is she good like that, you know, _kind_ like that all the time?"

Returning his gaze to the closed ladies' room door, Charles voice was barely more than a whisper as he answered, "Yes, she is."

* * *

 _Hope your mum feels better. I look forward to the rain check. Next weekend? X Marta_

His attention on his phone as she returned, she wondered what on the screen had darkened his mood. "Everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah. No, yeah. Fine." He nearly dropped the device as he fumbled in his haste to return it to his pocket.

The pink of his cheeks piqued her curiosity further but she didn't press as Sam appeared at their table with the ice cream and coffee, a complete change in his demeanor as he proudly placed their dishes on the table. "On the house," he added as he placed Elsie's ice cream in front of her.

"Oh, Sam, aren't you an angel. You don't have to do that."

She watched him struggle to speak as tears filled his eyes. "Oh, sweetheart." Reaching over she squeezed his hand and gave him an understanding nod. "It's alright."

Having whispered "Thank you," Sam left quickly, the sound of sniffling accompanying his hurried steps back towards the kitchen.

"What a sweet lad."

"Sweet lad? Sweet you." There was admiration in Charles' gaze from across the table.

She looked up at him with a slight sneer. "Oh, don't be silly. All I did was distract him for a minute."

Picking up his coffee cup, he leaned back in his chair, a knowing smile on his lips. "You asked him about things you knew would make him happy."

"It's just because I'm a mum..."

He found her modesty endearing, as he countered, "No, it's because you're Elsie."

She wrinkled her nose and waved her hand dismissively. "Whatever."

"Whatever nothing. You didn't have to do what you did. You could have just smiled and ordered your ice cream and coffee, but you didn't. You saw he was hurting and you comforted him. It never would have occurred to me to do what you did. It was a lovely gesture by a lovely woman."

The sincerity in what he said surprised her. She knew him to be polite and somewhat of a gentle giant, but it wasn't like him to be so free with his compliments, or emotions, for that matter. Unable to think of an adequate retort, she just shook her head and then nodded towards his dish. "Your ice cream is melting."

He held her gaze for a moment, an "I mean it" implied in his expression before finally taking a slightly runny bite of his dessert. "Oh, that's good. I'd forgotten how much I love ice cream. Seems an age since I had it last."

"Isn't it? I'd weigh twenty stone if I worked here."

Noticing a smudge of chocolate on the corner of her mouth, he considered reaching over and gently wiping it away with his thumb, but the gesture felt too intimate. "You've a bit of ice cream just there," he whispered, pointing at the spot.

She stuck out her tongue and tried to lick it away but was unsuccessful. "Gone?"

"Nope. Not quite."

Another attempt failed which drew a chuckle from him.

"Oh, don't just sit there laughing at me. Help."

He pulled a fresh napkin from the dispenser and with very delicate movements removed the sticky bit of cream. "There. Lovely."

"Well, tidy," she said with a shrug before draining the rest of her coffee cup.

"So, what is on the agenda for the school break, Mrs. Burns?"

"Ah, well, slowly, but surely, I have been cleaning out closets and cupboards and I am spending tomorrow clearing out the garage. If there is anything you'd like, feel free to take it. The only thing spoken for is that little fridge Joe kept in the back. Rose's mum has dibs on it." She bit the inside of her mouth as she debated on how cheeky she wanted to be with him in regard to the refrigerator. "You know the one I'm talking about, don't you? The one you and Joe used to hide all that Halloween candy in that you thought I didn't know about." She would have given anything to have taken a photo of his face when she revealed the fact that she had known about their secret stash.

"Ha-ha-ha! You thought I didn't know! Thought you were _so_ clever! Like I wouldn't notice the smell of peanuts and chocolate on Joe's breath when he'd come to bed after you and he'd stay up until the middle of the night supposedly discussing the mysteries of the universe in the garden."

A blush had once again crept across his cheeks a he sat up in his seat, half-heartedly rebutting, "We had some very intellectual conversations in that garden, I'll have you know."

"Yes. Fueled by Penguins and Maltesers and After Eights!"

He opened his mouth to argue, but her raised left eyebrow made him think better of it.

"It was Gus's thirteenth birthday and I needed a place to hide his cake, so I remembered Joe had that wee fridge in the back corner of the garage and I figured it probably had only a few bottles of beer in it, so I thought I'd use it, only to find it was chocked full of boxes of cheap chocolate! Tons of it! I don't think I would have been any more shocked if I had found pot or porn."

"Elsie!" Charles made a quick survey of the room to see if anyone was listening to their conversation.

"Oh, please. Pot and porn are two of the tamer things people talk about these days." Her arms folded, she playfully continued her scolding. "Children! You two were no better than rotten little children sneaking around behind my back!"

He knew she was enjoying making him squirm, so he kept up the pretense, intent on her maintaining a happy mood. "So, why didn't you call us out?"

She was leaning back in her chair deciding how far to take her teasing when she found herself distracted by simply looking at him. He'd been a part of their lives for so long that he had become a fixture of sorts, only now, without the outside distractions of others, she realized she hadn't _really_ taken a good look at Charles as a person, as a man, in a very long time. He was quite handsome, she admitted to herself, surprised to even be having the thought. He possessed such strong features, not to mention that marvelous voice, which she had always found affecting. Her eyes slipped from his face to his chest, fixating on the bit of skin revealed by the three buttons that were left undone, and she suddenly felt warm in a way that was familiar, albeit in a distant way. This unexpected sensation led to another pang of guilt like the one she experienced when she caught herself flirting with him earlier. Sitting up quickly, she turned her attention back to the small bit of ice cream still in her dish.

Noticing the climbing blush that now covered her neck and was quickly filling her cheeks, he craned his neck towards her, tilting his head in an effort get her attention. "You alright?"

"Yes, fine. Sorry." She swallowed hard, still slightly reeling from the previous few moments. "Just suddenly felt a little warm. What were you saying?"

"I asked why you didn't call us out after you found the candy."

"Oh, well, I don't know. I suppose I just thought it made you two boobies happy to have a secret and I'd much rather he'd have hidden candy from me than another woman, or a drink habit, or drugs so..." She forced herself to look up at him, regaining her wits as she added, "And I didn't see any more candy after that year and neither of you developed diabetes, so I let it go."

He grinned at her cheek and admitted, "It turned out that when I put on my Santa suit that Christmas, I didn't have to stuff the tummy like before; had my own bowl of jelly, you see, so I told Joe I had to cut down on sweets." He glanced down at his gut and shrugged, "And it looks like I might need to do that again."

Self-deprecation tended to be Charles' default means of communication, and it always made Elsie sad to hear him be anything less than kind to himself caring about him as she did. "Oh, don't be silly. You're lovely, absolutely lovely just the way you are."

Lying in bed later that night, she would replay this exchange in her head, dissecting the moment from when he looked back at her with such tender appreciation and how she had held his gaze as they exchanged an unspoken acknowledgment of care which was powerful in its chemistry.

Sam appeared with a carafe of coffee, and the connection between them was broken as he asked, "May I top you off?"

Returning his smile, Elsie shook her head as she pushed her chair out a bit, collecting her purse as she said, "No, but thank you so much. The ice cream, coffee, and service were all wonderful."

"Well, I hope you come again soon."

"I'm sure we will, and I add my thanks. You were very kind to treat us," Charles offered as he rose from his seat.

"Do you have kids?"

Standing, Elsie answered, "Yes. A son."

"He's…well, my mum and dad, they aren't..." he struggled to find the right words, settling on, "…okay, you know? They aren't like you. Nice and that. Your son is lucky. You're just, you're just really nice people." Somewhat embarrassed by his own remark, Sam gave them one more smile before moving away from the table.

Charles inhaled deeply before commenting, "I supposed he's not incredibly far-off. I'm not his father, but I am Gus's godfather."

"True." She watched him fetch his wallet from his back pocket and pull out several pound notes as she added, "And I think it's good that we didn't spoil his illusion." Glancing down, her eyebrows were raised and her eyes wide when she looked back up at him and whispered, "That's forty pounds, Charles!"

He would have paid twice the amount again to have shared the time with her, and so simply dismissed her comment with a wave of his hand before ushering her ahead him to lead the way outside.

Waiting until he had opened her car door, she paused before climbing in to give his hand a quick squeeze. "That was awfully sweet of you."

Still unsettled by the rather intimate moment they had shared, he managed a quick smile before turning his head as though looking at something over his shoulder rather than meeting her eyes as she climbed into the car.

His interest in something across the parking lot provided her ample time to study his profile, her eyes trailing over the shadow of beard on his cheek and down over his thick neck, his Adam's apple rising and falling as he swallowed hard making her wonder what was on his mind that perplexed him- and if, perhaps, it was the same thing that had unsettled her over the last few minutes.

* * *

The ride home was quiet, both of their minds too preoccupied to make small talk, and after pulling up in front of Elsie's home, he declined her invitation to come in.

"Thanks, but I'd better be off. I need to drop some of this guttering off at my mum's."

"Well, thanks for the ride. Oh, if you have the time, please stop by on Sunday afternoon. I think I'll be on my own. Gus and Rose are going over to a cousin's house for Easter dinner and Richard and Roz have plans with friends, and I've been putting it off, but I think I am going to have a clean out of Joe's wardrobe. I'm not looking forward to it, so it would be nice to have a friend on hand."

There was no way he would deny her the help, although his feelings were conflicted as he rejoiced at the thought of more time alone with her, while at the same time, he blanched at the thought of what it would be like to go through all of Joe's things.

"Of course, I'll come by. Mum will expect me for a bit, but after I'll be glad to help. Two-ish?"

"Perfect."

* * *

She felt slightly ashamed about it but was relieved to find the house quiet as she dropped her bags and purse on the entry table.

"Gus? Sweetheart, are you here? Rose?"

Receiving no answer, she debated whether to plunk herself on the couch and enjoy the rare bit of solitude, or to pick up her purse and get her weekly trip to the market out of the way. Her better angel winning out, she gathered a few bags for life from the kitchen, along with her purse from the entry, and was at the local grocery store within ten minutes.

The essentials in her basket, she was nearing the front when a display of large chocolate Easter eggs and boxed candies caught her eye. Knowing Gus would be quite disappointed to wake up Sunday morning and find the Easter bunny had passed him by, she selected ornate eggs for both he and Rose, as well as picking up a giant bar of Cadbury they could all share in over the next week. One pink and one blue plush bunny also added to her things, she as turning the trolley in the direction of the check out when she stopped short and looked back over her shoulder, hesitating only for a moment before gathering several packages of Penguins, Maltesers, and After Eights.

* * *

Sometime Elsie wondered if Rose spent as much time with them as she did because of Atticus, or because of her, given the girl's tendency to follow her around from room to room and fill her ear with chatter.

"I still can't believe you bought us Easter eggs and the stuffed bunnies! Ah-may-zing! You are like…well, my mum, she's not…I think the last time I got an Easter egg was when I was like seven, but well…Oh! My mum said she might not get to come by until next week for that little fridge, but you are so nice to give it to her, just in case she doesn't thank you properly, I mean, I think she will, but she just…anyway, it's so nice, really, really nice of you. Just like the eggs and the bunny. I named my bunny "Hoppy." Did I tell you that? Gus said he won't name his, but I think he is just saying that to like wind me up. I mean it wouldn't be fair for one of them to have a name and not name the other, would it? I wouldn't want to be a bunny with no name sitting next to another bunny with a name, would you? He'll let me name his, too. Don't you think? Yeah. I'm sure he will. He said you're always good about things like Easter and like you know, birthdays and things. My birthday isn't for three months. July twenty-second, but I think I already told you that, too. It's like nice having a summer birthday, but it will probably rain. My mum says it rained and rained the day I was born, like flooded, and it was awful to get to the hospital because the streets were flooded and so she didn't get there in time to get the thing where they like poke you in the back and the pain was so awful she told my dad she would never let him touch her again, and I think she probably didn't because they got divorced when I was like three and he always says she's frigid, but he's like really nice, my dad. I think you would like him. Anyway, thank you again. It was really sweet, like so nice of you to do that, you know, the eggs and Hoppy."

Elsie had been in the middle of pulling wet clothes from the washer when Rose had appeared to thank her for the _third_ time that day for the baskets that had been placed outside Gus's door early that morning.

"I'm happy you liked them, love."

Watching Elsie pull a tiny cotton thong out of the washer, Rose giggled, "And thanks for letting me throw in a few things with your and Gus's wash. I seemed to be here all the time lately!"

Thinking truer words had never been said, Elsie took a deep breath as she hoisted the heavy basket of wash onto her hip, smiling and nodding before making her way to the back door, where she prayed she might be granted the opportunity to hang the wash in peace. It was cool outside, but she was quite comfortable in her cardigan, and she hoped the temperature would keep Rose in her short, thin dress inside the house. To her dismay, however, the young woman simply folded her arms and followed close behind, her teeth chattering as she began describing the film she and Gus had gone to the night before.

The murderer had just severed both of his victim's hands and feet, blood gushing everywhere when a window on the second floor suddenly opened and Gus mercifully called down to say that Rose's cousin was on the phone.

* * *

Humming "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," she was pinning one of Gus's shirts to the line when she glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the back door opening, relieved to see it was him and not Rose emerging.

"What doing?" he asked with a mouth full of chocolate from a recent bite of the chunk of Cadbury he had broken of the big bar she'd left on the entry table.

"Having tea with the Queen. What does it look like I'm doing?"

He grinned, draping his arm around her shoulders as he offered her a bit of his chocolate which she took.

"Thanks for doing that this morning, you know the rabbit and the egg and the basket and all. Rose started crying when I told her one was for her."

Setting the laundry basket next to her on the ground, she pulled him into a full hug. "I'm glad it made her happy."

"I think she likes you."

"Yes, I get that feeling, too."

They exchanged amused smiles as Elsie returned to her task and Gus lowered onto one of the plastic lawn chairs nearby.

"Are you sure you don't want to come to her cousin's with us? It's going to be very nice. It's her mum's cousin and they're pretty posh."

"Thanks, love, but no. Charlie's coming over, remember? And we're going to clear out your Dad's wardrobe. You got what you wanted out last night, didn't you?"

He nodded, his happy demeanor having shifted to one more somber. "I kept some ties and that leather coat he always wore. That okay?"

"Of course. You keep whatever you want. Is there anything else you might want?"

In truth, he found it quite upsetting that she was getting rid of his father's things, but he didn't have the nerve to voice his feelings, so he had taken a few ties he could remember having given Joe for either Father's Day and Christmas, and the jacket that still smelled so strongly of his dad .

"No, I'm good." He was lifting the chocolate back to his mouth when he suddenly asked, "So why is Charlie coming over?"

Elsie was surprised by the question and it registered on her face as she turned to look at him. "He's helping. Why do you ask?"

He shrugged, not sure himself why the man's impending visit concerned him. "I just, well, Easter's a family day. I thought he'd be at his mum's."

"He's coming by after he goes to his mum's. We haven't seen him very much since the fune-"

He cut her off, "You just saw him the other day, didn't you? You had ice cream."

His interruption had sounded almost petulant which was not like him at all. "What's wrong, Gus?"

"Nothing. I just think it's weird that Charlie isn't spending the holiday with his mum…" He looked away as he added, "…and what's the hurry about getting rid of all of Dad's things?"

 _So that's it._ She dropped a few loose clothespins into the basket on the ground before joining him on the lounger, her arm going around his shoulder as she rested her cheek against his arm. "I know it's hard, sweetheart. It was hard for me to make the decision to clean out Dad's thing, but I'm finding it hard to cope. See, I open the wardrobe and I have a memory of him wearing every single shirt in it, and it smells of that cologne we always gave him on his birthday, and I can close my eyes and remember what it felt like to hug him when he was wearing that leather coat," she paused for a moment, her throat feeling thick with emotion. "And while I absolutely cherish every memory of your dad I have, when I look at and smell all of his things, it just reminds me that he's not there, and you know," she squeezed him tighter, a sob in her voice as she fought to continue, "You know I would give anything and everything to have your dad here, but he isn't, and we are…and though it is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, I have to keeping living, and part of living is moving on, love." She wrapped her arms more tightly around him as he began to tremble against her. "But moving on does not mean forgetting. Please, please don't think that is what I am doing."

Gus's eyes and nose were red as he turned and looked at her for the first time since she sat down.

"We can move on while still remembering all the wonderful and funny and good times we had we with your dad. You know that, right?"

He nodded and fought through his tears to say, "I'm sorry, Mum. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry…"

"Shhh…shhh…don't be sorry. Nothing to be sorry about." She used her cuff to wipe his eyes before pulling him to her. "I hope you will always tell me how you are feeling. Please don't ever feel like you can't tell me something."

"I will."

A minute passed as they each regained their composure.

"You okay, sweetheart?"

He nodded, before asking, "And you want Charlie here to help you? Really?" Using his own sleeve to wipe his eyes, his question was lighthearted, a tease in his voice as he wrinkled his nose.

"Oh, leave poor Charlie alone. He's a very dear man, and you know he loved your dad so much. I think it will be good for both of us to do this together. Cathartic."

"You know I love him, too, but he's just…I'm sorry, Mum, but he's just boring."

She gave his knee a squeeze. "Oh stop. He's not boring to me."

Something in her voice gave him pause, but the thought was interrupted as Rose suddenly appeared at the back door and called out, "Are you two donuts ever coming back in? You are going to freeze your balls off if you don't come inside!" before ducking back into the sun room.

"You've found yourself quite a lady there, my son," she teased.

"I know, but she's right. I am freezing my balls off."

"Charming."

"You know you like her."

Elsie laughed heartily and shook her head in agreement. "I do, I do."

Leaning over, he gave her cheek a peck before standing and moving towards the house, throwing over his shoulder, "I think the thing I love most about her is what a goofball she is."

Watching him hurry back into the house, she waited until she was sure he was out of earshot before reclining against the lounger and lifting her gaze heavenward. Scanning the clear, blue sky, she whispered "Oh, Joe, he's head over heels for that silly girl. I wish you were here to see it." Sighing, she then rested her eyes, a few moments passing before she added, "And Charlie. What do I do about Charlie, love?"

The wind suddenly picked up, and she shivered in response, although it wasn't only the coolness of the breeze which caused the reaction. Eyes now open, she bit down on her bottom lip and once again scanned the sky, her attention going to three birds that had just alighted from the neighbor's tree, one taking off to soar high above and then off into the distance, while the other two simply landed in the tree at the back of her garden to share a limb.

* * *

One bottle of Shiraz gone, Elsie giggled as Charles reappeared in her bedroom doorway, his eyebrows dancing as he shook a new bottle in one hand and a corkscrew in the other.

"Shall we be very, very bad?"

"I'm game if you are."

Charles handed her the bottle before tipsily lowering himself next to her, both leaning against the side of the bed, the empty wardrobe in front of them and three full garbage sacks sitting to their left.

She peeled a bit of foil from the top of the bottle before handing it back to him to open, her head lolling to the side as she watched him work the corkscrew only to startle him as she suddenly pushed against his arm in an effort to get on her feet.

"Be right back!"

Moving too quickly, she had to grab onto the bed post with one arm while her other hand rested on top of his head as she fought to regain her balance as the blood left her head.

"You alright?" he asked as he tried to look up at her only to be thwarted by her weight pressing down against his crown.

"Fine. Stood up too quickly." Grazing his scalp with her fingernails, she whispered, "You've got so much hair."

He closed his eyes, willing himself not to pull her into his lap, reminding himself that neither of them in full possession of their faculties.

The blood now redistributed throughout her body, she lifted her hand from his head, reaching out to grasp the door frame before leaving the room, her hand never leaving the rail as she carefully made her way down the stairs before hitting the kitchen.

Taking deep breaths, while clinging to the experience of the previous minute, he forced himself to replenish their glasses while waiting for her to return.

"Shit! Ow!"

He looked up to find her hobbling into the room, something held hidden behind her back.

"You alright?"

"Yes, just stubbed my toe."

The pain not long-lasting, he was happy to see her smile quickly return, her eyes twinkling as she gazed down at him.

"What are have you got there, young lady?"

"Treats."

"Treats, eh? What kind of treats?"

Lifting one eyebrow, she smirked before bringing the bag around in front of her. "Penguins, Maltesers, and After Eights!"

His face lit up to match hers as she moved back next to him and pulled out an assortment of the candies.

"Pick your poison."

Reaching over, he happily plucked a small package of Maltesers from her hand before passing over her newly filled glass of wine. Lifting his glass, he offered a simple toast. "To Joe."

Clinking his glass, she swallowed hard before repeating, "To Joe."

A companionable silence settled between the two of them and the only sounds in the room were the slosh of wine against the sides of their glasses and the sound of paper and foil being pulled off the bits of chocolate.

"You'll tell me if I'm being nosey, won't you?"

He frowned, but nodded, his curiosity and fear about what she intended to ask volleying for prominence in his stomach amid the wine and candy.

"The other day, at the café, when I came out of the ladies' you were looking at your phone and frowning."

He felt a pang of sobriety as the circumstances of the moment to which she was referring came back to him. "Oh. Oh, that was nothing, just a friend."

"I see."

Her intense gaze felt like some sort of wordless interrogation and he uncharacteristically mumbled, "I joined one those online things."

"What?"

He felt his cheeks grow even redder than they had been from the wine as he admitted, "I joined one of those things that matches you with other sad singletons."

Eyebrows threatening to touch her hairline, she leaned back to take a good look at him as she pried further. "A dating site? _You_ joined a dating site?"

"I know. Ridiculous, right? Who would want to be matched with me."

Once again, his self-deprecation kicked into gear which earned him a squeeze on his bicep.

"Don't be unkind to yourself. You know I didn't mean that way it sounded. I'm just surprised. Doesn't seem like you, although any woman would be lucky to be matched with someone as sweet and as lovely as you are."

Turning his head, he looked down at her appreciatively. "Thank you. That is very kind of you to say."

"I mean it!" She gave his arm another squeeze before asking, "So this friend is from the site?"

"Mmm, yes. Marta. That's her name. Marta."

"It's a nice name and this is exciting! So this Marta, what is she like?" The bright smile on her face betrayed an uncomfortable bout of butterflies in her stomach.

"Nice, I think. We haven't met up yet. Just been emailing and texting for a few weeks."

"So why the frown?"

He could never admit it, but he had signed up for the site more than three months before and had begun chatting with this woman a few weeks before Joe's death, but now she was pressuring him to set a date for them to meet in person, and he was dreading it. Dreading it for the simple reason that Marta wasn't Elsie. In fact, he had been frowning that day in the restaurant because he'd told Marta a flimsy lie about his mother being sick at the last minute so he could visit with Elsie, and the woman had been very sweet about the whole thing, which made him feel even more awful.

Unable to convey the absolute truth, he managed, "We had settled on doing something Friday evening, but something came up and she cancelled. I suppose that was why I was frowning."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Well, don't give up." She yawned, her hand over her mouth before she continued. "There's someone out there who will appreciate you for being the wonderful person you are. Goodness knows you are wonderful to me, giving up your afternoon and evening to help me clean all this out. Would have been much harder to do it alone."

He froze as he felt the gentle weight of her body lean against his side, her head heavy with wine and emotion as it rested against his upper arm.

"Of course. No place I would rather be."

Placing her now empty glass on her other side, her eyes felt quite heavy and her speech was a bit slurred as she slipped her hand into his. "I feel better when you're here. You help keep me steady."

Glancing down at their clasped hands, he lowly offered, "You can always hold my hand if you need to feel steady."

He held his breath as he waited for a response, but after a few moments he sensed her breathing had changed and leaning forward to find her fast asleep against his shoulder.

"No place I'd rather be."

Leaning his head back against the bed, he closed his own eyes, the room spinning a bit as he began to gently sing:

"I wanna hold your hand

I wanna hold your hand…"

Succumbing to the effects of the wine, he shifted slightly which caused their bodies to curl closer together as he rested his cheek atop her head, the lyrics of the song fading as he drifted to sleep.

"...And when I touch you

I feel happy happy inside

It's such a feeling that my love

I can't hide…I can't hide…"

* * *

I am so grateful for the wonderful feedback I got from chapter one. Thank you for being so sweet and lovely-

Jen


	3. Isn't it rich?

_The T-ness of this is upped a notch for some language. Can't begin to tell you how very lovely you all are to be so receptive of this little story. Made myself cry a bit writing this one (but not because of birds, CSotA_ \- 😊)

* * *

The last thing she remembered was the sound of Charlie singing a Beatles song, although she couldn't remember which one. Blinking as she struggled to focus on the light fixture above her, her head felt strangely detached, yet also heavy from her hangover as she fought to remember when and how she moved from the floor to the bed. Turning onto her side, her eyes suddenly flew open as she realized she was no longer wearing the yoga pants in which she had fallen asleep.

A myriad of scenarios filling her head, she was out of bed and into her dressing gown and slippers in matter of seconds before she opened her door carefully and quietly, relieved to find Gus's open opposite her, his bed clearly unoccupied, as was the bathroom opposite. Tiptoeing to the staircase, she managed the first two steps down and then skipped the next because she knew it squeaked, holding her breath the entire time as she strained to hear the conversation taking place in the kitchen below.

"…could hold her liquor. Mum is such a lightweight."

"Really!? And her being Scottish and all? My mum said she bet your mum was a right alky because all Scots are, but I told her I'd never seen her have more than half a glass of wine."

"Alky? After she has that half a glass she can't hold her eyes open. Are you going to finish your orange ?...I feel sorry for Charles curled up on the couch like that."

"I know, it's so cute! He looks funny all scrunched up- and he keeps making little farts."

Elsie was fighting a smile, picturing him, as Rose described, only few feet away on the other side of the front room wall, but fell back into her nauseas state as she heard Rose ask, "Do you think they did anything? You know, like is there...do you think there's like something between them? Charlie and your mum?"

Elsie held her breath as she waited for Gus's response.

"Between Mum and Charlie? As if! God no! That's a good one, babe. Mum and Charlie? As if she'd have anything to do with him, that's…that's…yeah, no. Mum would never. I mean he's my dad's best mate, isn't he? Noooo. She'd never do that to my dad."

Her legs suddenly felt like jelly and gripping the bannister, she lowered herself down onto the step behind.

"Yeah, no. Yeah, I'm sure you're right, but it's just that I was telling Madeleine about how he comes by a lot and how your mum is always smiling and like extra happy when he's here and she said she bet your mum and him are, you know, like together."

"That's complete rubbish! They aren't, and anyway, Maddy thinks Hugh Grant was really the Prime Minister and that you can get pregnant from sitting on a public loo, so I wouldn't listen to what she thinks."

"Yeah. I mean, I know, she's not smart, not like we are, but she isn't wrong about your mum, babe. They are always laughing about stuff when he's here. I don't know what they are talking about most of the time, stuff from like the olden days, I guess, but still, she is always really happy when he's here."

Gus was quiet for several moments which did nothing to soothe Elsie's anxiousness on the stairs and she was just moving to stand when she heard Rose ask, "Do you think I should go wake her up, babe?"

"Nah. Let her sleep. She'll be up before long."

"Alright, well, I'll be right back, I need a wee."

Elsie nearly tripped, scrambling back up the stairs and had almost cleared the corner around the bannister when she heard Rose's tell-tale giggle. Turning to find the young woman smiling brightly up at her, she lifted her finger to her lips before gesturing with her other hand for Rose to follow her into her bedroom.

Doing as she was bid, there was a knowing, mischievous look on her face on the younger woman's face as she quietly closed the door behind her before turning back and finding a pale Elsie perched on the side of the bed.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Elsie, but you look awful. Will you tell me if you think you are going to barf? I can't handle it when people barf. Like I'll barf, too, and I just ate two pop tarts and a big glass of orange juice and I really don't want to barf them up, so you'll tell me if you're going to, right?"

"Yes, I mean, I'm not going to barf. Look, would you please come here, love," She patted the mattress next to her but wasn't sure how to start the conversation once Rose had settled beside her.

The knowing smile returning to her face, Rose asked, "You're wondering who took your pants off, aren't you?"

It was a far blunter opening than she would have probably chosen, but it was certainly high on the list of questions Elsie had about what had happened the night before.

"Yes, yes, I was rather curious about that."

The playful look on Rose's face remained as she lowered her chin and whispered, "Who do you think took them off?"

Swallowing hard, her answer was desperately hopeful. "You?"

Falling back against the bed laughing, Rose admitted, "Yes! Haha! Who else would it have been, you big donut? Of course, it was me!"

Elsie took what felt like her first full breath since she had awoken. "I'm afraid I don't remember much from last night, love. Do you know how I actually got into my bed?"

Nodding her head in the affirmative, Rose suddenly jumped. "I'll tell you, but I just remembered the reason I came up here to begin with. I like really, really need a wee. Just a sec!"

Rose was out of the room before Elsie could ask another question. Deciding she might as well be productive while she waited for the girl to return, she had turned around and was beginning to make her bed when there was a light tap on her open door.

"Morning."

Straightening up from her leaning position she nearly lost her balance as her dehydrated brain pounded as a result of the blood rushing from her head as she spun around to find Charles looking not unlike she felt, his hair in disarray (although she thought the small curl just above his right temple was quite adorable) and large bags resting beneath his bloodshot eyes as he rubbed his right hip.

Her cheeks warm, a hot blush was settling on her face and neck as she managed a slightly worried smile. "Morning, Charlie. You alright?"

It struck him as a bit unfair that she could look so lovely given they had drunk the same amount of wine the night before, her face full of color while he looked like death warmed over.

"Fine, thanks, just a bit of a hitch in my get-along. Old hips and sofas don't mix." He felt a slight wave of panic as he asked, "Was that alright? I didn't think I was fit to drive, but I suppose I could have called…"

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she gave her head a gentle shake, assuring him, "No, of course, you are always welcome here, Charlie. I didn't mean…I just…you're too big for the sofa. You could have slept in my bed."

His pale complexion soon matched hers in ruddiness as he digested what she had just said. "But you…"

She hadn't meant to insinuate anything untoward, and she waved her hands and shook her head animatedly, an embarrassed laugh accompanying her explanation. "Oh! Oh, no! I meant I could have slept on the sofa and you could have stayed here."

A giggle from behind Charles startled them both and he soon shifted to make room for Rose to join him in the doorway. "We couldn't have gotten you downstairs and onto the sofa! It was hard enough to get you out of your pants and into the bed, silly! You were like a giant doll, but weighed like a real person, or, well, it was kind of like you were a person-sized doll who was full of like sand or like jelly and sticks."

The description made her stomach a little queasy, so she decided to ignore it as she asked, "Where was Gus?"

"Oh!" Rose moved into the room, absent-mindedly picking up knick-knacks, bits of jewelry, and various tubes of lotions from Elsie's vanity as she explained, "Well, see, I left my phone at my cousin Mary's, and like, I didn't realize it until we were almost back here, so Gus dropped me off and then went back to Mary's to get it, and then, well, I was in a rush to get to the loo, but when I got to the top of the stairs I heard you snoring," she turned and pointed to Charlie, "and when I turned to look towards where the snores were coming from I found you both curled up together there," she moved her hand in the direction of the floor beside the bed. "And I tried to wake you, Elsie, but you were out, like I could have put firecrackers in your nose and I don't think you would have woken up, so that's when I shook Charlie's shoulder," she giggled as she turned back to him, "and you were like sort of awake, but sort of not, and you helped me get Elsie up onto the bed and then you just disappeared when I asked if you thought I should take her pants off."

Deciding the best course of action was to again ignore, Elsie asked, "And does Gus know you found us like that? In the floor?"

Rose glanced between the two older people, feeling slightly uncomfortable given Gus's earlier reaction when she'd mentioned the possibility of Elsie and Charles being together. "Ummm…he just thinks I got home and just like found Charlie asleep on the couch because it was late and because you two had probably had a bit too much to drink. He doesn't know about the rest."

If forced to account for the activities of the evening, there was truly nothing out of line that had occurred between them, but the fact that Rose had found them with hands and bodies entwined could not be denied. Elsie glanced up to find Charles looking at her, it clear he was waiting for her to decide how they would proceed.

"Love," Elsie moved closer to where Rose stood twirling a bangle around her finger. "…thank you for helping me get to bed. I have to say I am a bit embarrassed…"

The abrupt hug Rose gave her was startling, but she reflexively returned the embrace.

"You're welcome and look,don't be embarrassed. My mum's neighbor, Mrs. Denker, like she gets drunk all the time and when she turns on Abba, we know we're going to find her tits out dancing in the front garden."

Not sure how comforting she found being compared to a woman who got her "tits out" on what sounded like a regular basis, she was, at least, relieved at the prospect of Rose's discretion regarding how she had found them the night before. Leaning back, she took Rose's hand as she looked at the younger woman's pretty face.

"I think it might be best that we just keep this between the three of us. I mean, Gus is still, well, we're all still dealing with a bit of grief since Joe…, and I wouldn't want anyone to get…I mean, it just isn't worth anyone misunderstanding or getting the…you know what I mean? We both just miss Joe. That's all last night was. You know Charlie and I are just friends, right?"

The words were no sooner out of her mouth and she regretted them. "Just friends." The man had been selfless in the giving of his time, support, and friendship over the last two incredibly difficult years, and even though she wasn't sure exactly what had transpired between them the night before, she couldn't deny that something had, and she also couldn't deny the fact that it was more than just their mutual love for Joe.

Desperate to make a quick amend, she felt sick all over again when she looked over her shoulder to find him no longer standing in the doorway and she soon recognized the sound of his heavy footsteps on the stairs which was followed by the sound of the front door closing.

* * *

Her phone calls went unanswered and out of the ten texts she had sent over the remainder of the week, it was only the first two to which he had responded.

 _Sorry. With my mum._

 _Sorry. Tied up with things._

Deciding it best to leave him alone until he was ready to reach out to her, Elsie filled the rest of the Easter break by giving the house a good spring clean now that she had all the cupboards and drawers cleaned out, as well as making trips over to Michael and Josie's to help the bickering couple do the same at their small bungalow. She was in the midst of helping Michael move some old furniture out of their shed when they were faced with a very old and very heavy armoire which refused to budge.

"Well, don't just stand there, girl! Call Gus! He ought to be here helping anyway, lazy bugger," Michael barked at her.

Knowing the elderly man was simply letting out his frustration at no longer being as young or as strong as he had once been, she kept her cool as she reminded him, "He's in Cornwall, remember? He and Rose went with friends for the weekend."

His exhaustion getting the better of his emotions, Michael lowered himself into an old chair they had already manuevered out of the shed, his grief coming to the surface as he mumbled, "Joe and I were going to shift this lot a few years ago, but it was just before we found out…"

Lowering herself gently onto the arm of the overstuffed chair, she gave his back a gentle pat. "I remember."

A sorrowful silence settled between them until he softly admitted, "She's not the same, you know, since he's been gone." He nodded in the direction of the house. "Doesn't sleep through the night. I heard her moving about last night and when I got up she'd turned all the lights on and I found her in the kitchen pulling things out of the pantry because she said she had to bake a cake for Joe-Joe's birthday." He lifted a hand to his face to wipe away a few errant tears. "She hasn't called him that since he was six years old."

Biting the side of her cheek as she struggled to keep her own tears at bay she moved her arm around his shoulder as she leaned over to rest her cheek atop his head. "Do you want me to come stay over a few nights? I can. I could get up with her, so you could get some sleep."

"You're a good girl, Elsie, but no. We'll manage." Clearing his throat, Michael reached over and gave her knee a pat before pushing himself out of the chair. " 'nuff of that nonsense. Now, what are we going to do about this old hunk of junk," he gestured toward the armoire. "What about Charlie? He'd come help. Give Charlie a call."

"Oh, well, I'm not sure. I think he's tied up with his mum this weekend." She wasn't exactly lying, he had mentioned his mum in one of his terse tweets earlier in the week. Changing the subject she cheerfully offered, "Tell you what. We'll get this chair moved to the kerb with the rest and that way we've got the majority out where the charity collectors can pick it up when they come by tomorrow and I'll make sure Gus and I move the armoire out for them when they come around next month. That work?"

He glanced up at her, studying her face a bit before plainly stating, "He's a bit sweet on you is Charlie. You'll have to wait a bit, I get that, but I think Joe'd like that. You and Charlie."

"Me and Char-!?" She could feel her cheeks burning as she chided, "Goodness, Michael" she gave his shoulder a gentle slap, laughing off his comment, although it stayed with her far beyond that afternoon.

* * *

April turned into May and May into June, and then school was out for the extended break which also coincided with Josie's eighty-fourth birthday and the annual birthday barbecue which Joe and Elsie had always hosted. Not wanting to disappoint her in-laws, and also feeling it worthwhile to keep up traditions she knew had been important to Joe, she had tried to invite some of their friends, but most were either dead or too infirm to make the trip, so she the guest list had dwindled to the immediate family, Rose and her friend Madeleine, Richard and Rosamunde, and Charles and his mum, the latter of which had surprised her by accepting her texted invitation, having not heard from him since the week following Easter.

Gus had stepped into his father's shoes and was manning the small grill in the back garden where Rose and Maddy were currently sun bathing while listening to the radio In the house, a smiling Richard and an annoyed Rosamunde sat in the front room listening to Josie and Michael argue their way through telling the story of how they met while Elsie was busying herself in the kitchen slicing vegetables and baking one of her Victoria sponges as she danced around to the sound of Bruno Mars drifting in through the open kitchen window. She was just taking the cake pans out of the oven when the doorbell rang. Wiping her hands on her apron, she was a bit thrown when she opened the door to find Charles standing on the other side with a woman who was decidedly not his mother.

"Charlie!" She forced a smile onto her face as she tried to hide her shock which was accompanied by a painful twist in her gut. "It's so good of you to come."

Her kind, though clearly confused smile instantly made him regret his choice not to tell her he was bringing a date in place of his mother, but now standing on her threshold, he had no other choice but to proceed with an introduction. His voice was soft as he placed a gentle hand on his companion's back. "I hope it's alright, but my mum was feeling quite up to it today, and I've been wanting you to meet my…" he paused, wishing he hadn't phrased it in a way that made him define their relationship, and so went with the innocuous, "friend Marta," which made the tall brunette's back tense up against his hand as she gave him a disappointed side-eye look.

"Of course it's alright! Marta, so lovely to meet you."

"And you. I've heard nothing but "Elsie-this and Elsie-that," since Charles asked me to join him. It's nice to finally put a face with a very familiar name."

Elsie wasn't sure what to make of the comment which was tinged with a contentious tone, but in the effort to keep thinks light, she offered her hand. Marta's brief handshake brought to mind Rose's description of a sack of jelly with bones in it with its lack of grip and clamminess and Elsie had to fight the urge to wipe her hand on her apron.

"Please go through and meet some of the others." Elsie offered, stepping back and allowing her guests to walk in front of her, but then almost ran into Charlie when he stopped short and spun around to face her as he whispered, "Sorry I didn't tell you Mum didn't feel up to coming. It was last minute, and I really have wanted you to meet Marta, but I should have called."

Doing her best to push down her feelings, she couldn't deny that she felt like burting into tears and telling him that it was very much not alright, that she had missed him, and was crazy mad at him for ignoring her for weeks, and that she had felt like someone had punched her in the stomach when she opened the door to find him with another woman but in true Elsie-style she simply took a deep breath and managed a small, tight smile. "It's fine. Of course, it's fine. No worries. I'm just glad you're here. Seems like we haven't seen you in forever."

"Sorry, it's been…I've been dealing with my mum, but it's no excuse. I think we need to …"

"Charlie boy! Come introduce us to your new friend, mate!"

Richard's voice from the other room interrupted whatever he was going to say next, and his heart sunk as he felt a shift in the air as Elsie brushed past him towards the kitchen, with what he could have sworn was a tear running down her cheek.

* * *

Having tried and failed several times over the afternoon to corner Elsie for a moment alone to speak, Charles was watching her flit about the back garden where the party had settled to eat Gus's burgers; he and Marta in lawn chairs next to Rosamunde and Richard, while the two elder members and the three young people occupied the picnic table.

While Marta was engaged in small talk with the others, his focus was still solely on Elsie who was currently heading back into the house to get a hat for Josie. Deciding this was his chance to catch her alone, he was preparing to get out of his seat when Marta gave his sleeve a tug as she repeated what he had missed the first time.

"I said I don't get this party. It's sort of an odd group."

Rosamunde was delighted to find a kindred spirit in the attractive, well-dressed woman on her right. "You're telling me! I can assure you we are only here because Richard feels bad for his sister."

"We're here to support my family. For goodness sake, Roz, she's a widow," Richard whispered under his breath.

Rolling her eyes, Rosamunde sighed, "Oh, don't I know it."

"Good burgers," Charles quickly interjected to change the subject. "Gus should be chuffed, Joe would be pleased."

"Yeah, Joe was the king of the barbecue, wasn't he?" Richard asked, grateful for the new topic.

"Everyone alright? Need anything? More to drink? To eat?"

Elsie startled them all, having snuck up behind them and Richard and Charles exchanged glances, hoping she hadn't overheard Rosamunde.

"We're fine, fine. Here, why don't you sit down? You've been on the run all afternoon." Charles attempted to get up, but Elsie waved him off.

"Thanks, no. I'm just going to check on Josie and get this hat on her. Make sure she and Michael aren't too warm."

He turned and watched her as she attended to the other table, sharing a sweet smile with Joe's parents, as well as Gus and the girls. His attention so squarely focused on her, he was unaware that Marta was speaking to him until she once again pulled on his sleeve again. "For the love of God, Charles!"

"Sorry! What? What did I miss?"

"Everything I've said today because you've been too busy following our hostess around like some sad puppy. Christ! Maybe if I changed my name to "Elsie" you might pay a little bit of attention to me."

Confrontation was something Charles avoided at all costs, especially in front of other people, and he cringed as he glanced over to find Richard and Rosamunde staring at them.

"I'm sorry. Maybe we should step inside..."

Shoving her plate on top of his, Marta shook her head as she moved to her feet. "No. You bloody well stay, Charles, and keep enjoying the Elsie show. I don't seem to find it quite as entertaining as you do."

"Marta, please." Quickly setting the plates on the ground, he was up and following her into the house as the whole party watched on.

"What happened?" Gus asked, rising from the table as he addressed Richard and Rosamunde.

Rosamunde opened her mouth to speak, but Richard reached over and placed a heavy hand on her wrist. "I think they must have had a disagreement before they came. None of our business."

Murmured guesses about what could be going on in the house went around the picnic table as Elsie moved to collect Charles and Marta's discarded plates, her eyes locking with her brother who gave her a worried look.

* * *

Ten minutes having passed and all the burgers eaten, Josie and Michael had been moved into the shade of the large tree at the back of the garden while the young people stayed in the sun, the radio buzzing along as Rosamunde smoked and focused on her phone at the far side of the garden, leaving Richard and Elsie to clean up after the meal.

"So?"

Richard glanced up to find Elsie looking at him from across the picnic table.

"What?"

"You know what. What happened with Charlie and Marta?"

Returning to his gathering of rubbish, he shrugged. "Dunno. I think they had words before they got here."

The fact that he refused to look at her assured her he wasn't being truthful. "You're bullshitting me."

Sitting on the bench his side of the table, he nodded for her to do the same, his voice low as he asked, "Look, I know it is none of my business, but is there something or was there something going on between you and Charlie?"

His question made her fear the few bites of burger she had managed earlier might make a reappearance. "What do you mean?"

"Did you have an affair with Charlie?"

She was not a violent person, but she was grateful he was sitting too far across the table for her to reach him, so incensed was she by the question.

"Of course not! What the hell, Richard? You know I would never! I can't believe you!" Her words were whispered, but sharp, full of both anger and hurt that he would even consider she would do such a thing to Joe.

"No, no! I didn't mean before Joe died. My God, I would never think that, love, never! I just thought maybe, you know, in the last few months. You and Charlie have always gotten along so well, and of course, you know he's always been in love with you."

She stared at him, her face devoid of color. "No. We've never, and what you do mean he's always…that's not true. Why would you even think that? He's always been a perfect gentleman and he's Joe's best friend in the whole world, for heaven's sake! We love him and he loves us, but as friends, that's all."

Richard reached across the table and took her hands. "You're right. He is a perfect gentleman which is why you've never seen it. He's always hidden it from you, but its there. It's always been there. Even on your wedding day. I watched him watch you walk down the aisle and there was every bit as much love and wonder on his face as there was on Joe's. And Elsie, I promise you, he still looks at you like that. He's just never done anything about it because as much as he loves you, he loved Joe, too." He watched her worry her bottom lip as she stared at their joined hands. "Right now they are in there fighting about you, love. Charlie hadn't taken his eyes off of you since they got here and she called him out on it."

"No, no." She glanced up the house, strangely pleased, while a the same time feeling a bit guilty that she was the cause of the argument. "Oh, shit."

"If you feel the same, you need to tell him, Elsie. And if you don't, you need to tell him that, too. It's only fair."

Closing her eyes, she admitted, "I don't know what I feel. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't something there, and, I mean, of course I care about him; he's a lovely man, but he's been our friend for so long, I don't know if I could consider him as anything else."

"I understand, truly I do, but you don't have to make up your mind this minute, I mean, no one's rushing you. You know we all just want you to be happy, don't you? You've still got a lot of life left ahead and you deserve for that time to be filled with happiness."

She smiled at him, grateful to have such a caring brother, whom she felt deserved the same happiness he wished for her. "You're very sweet and I'm very lucky to have you." Taking a quick glance back of the house, she agreed, "You're right and I will think about it, but I want you to promise me you'll think about what you want and about how happy _you_ are. You deserve to be happy just as much as I do."

"I am happy, Els."

He watched her shift her focus briefly to where Rosamunde leaned against the fence, before turning back to him, not passing judgment, but acknowledging her concern as she gave his hand a squeeze. "I just love you and want the best for you."

He was granted a reprieve from responding when Gus suddenly called out from across the garden.

"Mum!"

Pulling her hands from Richard, she swung a leg over the bench so she could look at her son. "What, love?"

"We need more lemonade. Do you think it is alright to go into the kitchen?"

Her stomach did what seemed like its fiftieth flip of the day, but she forced herself up from the table. "No worries. I'll get it. You want anything else?"

"Nah. Gran's asleep so we'll have to wait for cake."

"You want me to go?" Richard asked.

Taking a deep breath, she shook her head, although she was grateful for the offer.

* * *

The kitchen was empty as she rounded the corner from the sunroom. Stopping briefly to listen, the lack of any sound coming from anywhere else in the house encouraged her to continue towards the front.

"She's outside waiting for an Uber."

Charles' voice startled her and she immediately spun around to find him sitting about half-way up the staircase, his head in his hands as his elbows rested on his knees.

"Are you alright?" She stopped at the foot of the stair, resting against the bannister as she leaned her head to the side trying to catch his eye.

"Relieved, actually." He finally looked up at her, and while there were so many things he wanted to say, he couldn't seem to find his voice.

She moved slowly, her knees aching from her efforts as she crawled up the few steps and placed her hand over his.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled the mix of her perfume mixed with the smell of the grill, and without thinking turned hand over, fingers spreading as an invitation which she instantly accepted as she intertwined her with his.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head, although he held steadfastly to her hand.

Giving his a squeeze, she softly asked, "I've been meaning to ask you, what was the song you were singing to me when I fell asleep that night? Do you remember? I think it was a Beatles song."

He nodded and then whispered, "You're doing it right now."

She moved her free hand to his chin, gently lifting it so he would look at her. "What?"

He opened his mouth to sing the first few lines but his serenade remained unheard as the front door suddenly opened, Marta's eyes immediately landing on them.

"Jesus. You couldn't even wait until I was gone? The stupid driver's taking forever so I was going to ask you to drive me, but obviously I am interrupting."

"Marta, please don't," Charles called out over Elsie's head as they pulled apart.

"Please don't what? Don't embarrass you in front of your precious Elsie?" She turned her focus to Elsie, throwing her hands in the air as she spat, "Please, would you please just fuck him already, love, and put him out of his misery?"

"Marta, stop!"

The fit the woman was throwing was oddly entertaining, and Elsie had to bite her lip not to laugh when the woman literally stomped her foot on the ground, her index finger waving at Charles.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do! I can't figure you why you even asked me out. Will you explain it to me? I mean, was I just someone to bide your time with while you waited for her to come out of mourning? Well, fuck that!"

"Marta, that's enough!"

"I'll decide when it's enough, Charles. You've bloody wasted my time so you know what? While we're at it, fuck you because goodness knows you never fucked me!"

"For the love of…please don't swear! You are very much out of line!"

Arms crossed, Marta moved to the bottom of the stairs. "You never tried anything with me, in almost three months you barely kissed me, much less tried to sleep with me which means you are either gay, can't get it up, or in love with someone else. So which is it? Hmm? Your shoes are nice, but boring and you refused to watch "Mama Mia" with me so you aren't gay, and you've been mooning after her all day like a dog who found a bitch in heat, so I don't think you're impotent, which only leaves option three, which means you're just an asshole!"

Unwilling to let the woman carry on in such a coarse manner, Charles rose and whispered, "Excuse me," pausing only long enough for Elsie to move to the side so he could pass. "You're upset with me, Marta, and I'll take whatever abuse you wish to dish out, but Elsie has done nothing to deserve having to hear such talk in her own home. You need to go outside. Let me get my keys and I'll drive you home."

"I hope you two are really happy together," she hissed at Elsie before turning back to to Charles and shouting, "I stand corrected. You're a giant fucking asshole." Turning on her heel, Marta was out the door which she purposefully slammed behind her.

Elsie remained on the stair as Charles fetched his keys from the entry table. "I'm so sorry, Elsie. This is mortifying. I shouldn't have brought her but I never dreamed she'd act like this."

The woman's outburst had been unnerving to say the least, but so was the fact that Charles hadn't denied her accusations, and to Elsie's surprise, she was quite pleased he hadn't.

Pushing away a grin that threatened to break, she managed a sympathetic look as she offered, "I'm sorry she's being so unkind to you. You don't deserve it."

His shoulders slumping, he looked up at her. "I think maybe I do. I should have broken it off with her weeks ago so I am a giant asshole."

The grin she'd kept at bay suddenly won out as she noted, "Well, I don't think you are, and I happen to be an authority on assholes. In fact, there's an asshole smoking a cigarette in my back garden as we speak, and you are nowhere near her league."

He managed a small grin before turning towards the door, only to look back as she asked, "Call me, will you? Let me know you made it home alright?"

They held one another's gaze for several seconds before they were interrupted by an angry pounding on the door as Marta yelled, "For fuck's sake!"

"I'd better go."

His hand reaching up to the latch, he hesitated in pulling it. Looking over his shoulder, he held her gaze as he said, "It was this one."

"Oh please say to me

You'll let me be your man

And please say to me

You'll let me hold your hand

I wanna hold your hand

I wanna hold your hand…"

"Charles."

There was a sadness in his smile as he lifted his hand to stop her from coming to him.

"I'll let you know when I've made it home."

Moving to her feet, she was rushing down the steps towards him, but was too late as he disappeared behind the now closed door.

* * *

Birthday candles blown out and cake eaten, everyone beside Gus and Rose had left the party before sundown, and as the young couple lounged on the sofa watching a film, Elsie stayed in the kitchen, picking at a piece of cake while checking her phone every few minutes.

Staring out the back window, she was replaying what had happened on the stairs, as well as Marta's outburst when she was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts at the sound of Gus asking, "What you doing, Mum?"

"Oh, nothing, love." She picked up the almost full piece of cake and held it out towards him. "I thought I wanted this, but I'm just picking at it. You want it?"

Happy to take the pudding off her hands, he leaned against the doorway, his mouth full as he asked, "You ever hear back from Charlie?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Weird that he just left without saying anything."

There was no way she would have repeated what had happened on the stairs, or Marta's outburst, so upon returning to the back garden she had simply said the house was empty when she went inside to retrieve the lemonade.

"Yeah, well, I suppose he was just embarrassed. You know how he feels about people making scenes."

"I'm sorry, but I hope he's rid of her. She seemed a right snob."

She couldn't help but smile. "You think?"

Gus shrugged, "She reminded me of Rosamunde and we don't need two of her hanging about, do we?"

Elsie laughed as she crossed the kitchen, taking the now empty plate from his hands. "No. No, we certainly don't."

"Mum?"

"What, love?"

"You know Maddy, Rose's friend, the one that came over today?"

"Of course."

"Well, you know what Maddy told Rose?"

Resting her hip against the counter, she smiled warmly at him. "No. Tell me."

"She told Rose she thinks that Charlie has a crush on you, you know, that he wants to be with you."

Elsie wrinkled her nose and grinned up at him, feigning ignorance. "Really?"

Gus laughed and shook his head incredulously. "I know, it's crazy, right? As if you'd give Charlie a second look. I told her no way. There's no way you'd ever be with Charlie like that! I mean, he was dad's best mate. Crazy, right?"

Elsie maintained her bright smile and gave her head a slight shake, although her insides felt like they were tying in a hundred knots.

Gus was still laughing as he turned back towards the front of the house which coincided with her phone buzzing in her pocket. Pulling out the device, her heart leapt to see she had a text from Charles waiting.

 _Finally home. Had to stop at Mum's. Sorry again about today. What you said to Rose at Easter- we are just friends and what was said, and the song- ike you said- we just both miss Joe. Marta was out of line and I'm sorry you had to hear it. Will check in next week. Night. – C._

Slipping the phone back into her pocket, she turned back to the window to find tears running down the face of the woman in its reflection.

* * *

 _Oh dear, oh dear! Will they ever get on the same page? This will wrap up soon. Thank you again for all the support and kind words. You chickies are the best! -J_

"


	4. Rollercoaster

She was in that dreamland place somewhere between knowing that what was happening wasn't real, and yet her body was very much reacting to what was occurring.

Hands. Warm hands. Large hands. Incredibly gentle, but also incredibly talented hands on her breasts, running up the inside of her thighs, pressing, stroking, and pushing her body until she reached an intense climax, so intense, in fact, that her body was still tensing and quivering as she woke.

"Oh, Joe…oh, God…oh, my God."

Rolling onto her side, she curled into the fetal position, hands over her face, rocking to and fro as she forced herself to confront the fact that the hands in her dream had belonged to Charlie.

* * *

The invite arrived with a plop on the mat just as Charles was settling onto his sofa with a late morning cup of tea and packet of biscuits.

"Damn."

Tea on the side, he padded down the corridor and into his entry to collect what he was sure was nothing but some bills, adverts, and a catalogue or two, but as he spied the untidy pile, a bright orange envelope caught his eye. Pulling back the tab, he retrieved a piece of lime green cardstock which was folded in a way that two flaps had to be pulled back to reveal the contents. Upon doing just that, he was greeted by a cute little black bat which popped forward from the center of the card, under which red letters created to look as though they were dripping with blood read:

 _Saturday, October 28, 2017_

 _JOIN US FOR A_

 _BLOODY GOOD TIME!_

 _Gus and Rose invite you to a Halloween fancy dress party_

 _20:00 til the sun comes up and we vampires must return to our coffins!_

 _RSVP to elsieburnsbright_

Charles smiled at the bottom line, quite certain it would be Elsie doing all the planning, decorating, and leg work, while Gus and Rose played host and hostess for the might. Choosing to text rather than email her his response, he pulled his phone from his pocket and accessed her number.

 _Fancy dress, eh?_

Her thirty-minute lunch period just beginning, she was just lifting a cup of coffee to her lips when her phone buzzed, and upon pulling it out of her pocket her tummy did a bit of a flip to see a message from Charles had popped up on the screen.

 _Indeed. Was NOT my idea. You going to come and keep me sane?_

 _Will I be the oldest one there if I do?_

 _No. Michael and Josie are coming- talk about scary!_

 _I might be able to drop by._

 _Drop by? You wouldn't leave me alone with a houseful of drunk kids & George & Martha, would you?_

 _You're not helping your cause._

 _Pretty please with sugar & a cherry on top? I'll make those sausage rolls you like & save a dozen just for you. _

_You play dirty, madam._

 _A girl has to do what a girl has to do._

 _Alright. What time?_

 _I don't suppose you'd want to come early and help me set up (two dozen sausage rolls)?_

 _Throw in a batch of brownies and I am your slave._

Elsie looked up and glanced around the teacher's lounge, grateful that no one seemed to be paying attention to the fact that her cheeks were flushed and eyes sparkling in reaction to the friendly, and slightly flirty text exchange in which she had been engaged.

 _Your own pan, hero._

 _What time?_

 _Whenever you want. Rose and I have bags and bags of decorations…_

 _Sounds festive. Will bring my costume so I can change there._

She bit her bottom lip, debating on how cheeky she wanted to be in her next message.

 _You'd make a very cute cowboy._

He inhaled sharply as he read the screen, his pulse increasing as his eyes scanned over the sentence repeatedly before biting his lip and returning:

 _Cowboys aren't cute! How about rough and manly?_

Elsie had to swallow hard as she suddenly pictured him in tight jeans and cowboy boots with a western hat tilted just so on his head.

 _Alright. I think you'd make a cute rough and manly cowboy._

Not a man who often used emojis, he threw caution to the wind and answered with: :(

She typed the first three words of her next text but hesitated before typing in _a_ only to erase it and replacing it with _my_ before finishing her sentence. Deciding she was crossing a line that might be difficult, or even impossible to retreat behind, she was moving her finger to hit the backspace when another teacher across the room dropped her ceramic mug which shattered when it hit the tile. Having jumped in her seat at the noise, she looked down in terror to find she had inadvertently hit the "send" button.

He stared at the screen for a good ten seconds, his eyes reading the words over and over:

 _Please say you'll be my cowboy?_

Was she _flirting_ with him? While he still woke in various states of arousal most mornings following dreams about her, their interactions since Josie's party had been strictly platonic, which he assumed were the only kind in which Elsie was interested, but now here, on a Monday, mid-morning, she had asked him to be _her_ cowboy _._ Moving back to the sofa, he rested his head against the back of the seat and looked at the ceiling, closing his eyes tightly before quickly typing in a short message that he hoped would both amuse her and let them end the conversation without having to dissect what had just transpired.

Scrambling furiously, she wracked her brain for a way to rectify the situation and quickly entered: _Sorry! Was interrupted mid-text and mis-typed. Meant: Please say you'll be my cowboy helper._

"Lame," she whispered as she deleted the text before throwing her head back and looking at the ceiling. Closing her eyes tightly, she was saying a prayer that by some miracle he hadn't actually received it when her phone suddenly buzzed. Holding her breath, she lowered her chin, finally forcing herself to read what she had just received:

 _Yippee-ki-yi-ay!_

The entire teacher's lounge turned to look at her, curiosity spreading like wildfire as to what the widowed Mrs. Burns might be giggling.

* * *

"So what can I do?"

The sound of his voice doing something to her insides, she glanced over her shoulder to find him grinning as held a garment bag over his arm and a duffel in his other hand.

"Ooh! You're all…beardy!"

He laughed, stepping further into the room. "I don't think that's a word."

"Well, you're all," she reached up and gave his cheek a gentle rub as she decided on, "fuzzy."

"I don't know about fuzzy, but I haven't shaved since Tuesday, so it's definitely scratchy. I thought it sort of went with the whole Cowboy look, but if you think it looks ridiculous I brought a razor and cream-"

"Don't you dare! I like it. Makes you look all rugged and Cowboy-ee."

"Cowboy-ee? Your use of adjectives is quite entertaining, Elsie Burns."

"Well, I try. Now, you can put your things in Gus's room. I thought Rose and I could dress in mine and you and Gus can use his."

"Very good. And then?"

"Then I shall put you to work! You have brownies and sausage rolls to earn, my good man!"

"I shall try to earn my keep, ma'am," he offered over his shoulder in a funny American drawl, but stopped before he reached the bannister to call out, "Say, you never told me what you are wearing?"

Grateful things seemed to be relaxed, yet playful given their text exchange from earlier in the week, she felt safe to give him a wink as she teased, "It's a surprise."

* * *

The back garden strung with lanterns and twinkle lights for those willing to brave the cool October night, the sun room, front room, and dining room were equally festive with carved pumpkins, balloons, cobwebbing, and a smattering of candles.

Food on trays, a keg tapped in the kitchen, and a small bar set up in the sunroom, the foursome had retreated upstairs to get into their costumes a half hour before the guests were to begin arriving.

Conversation had lapsed for a few minutes as each woman focused on her task, so it caught Elsie off-guard as she was bent over buckling the strap of her black heels and Rose abruptly announced, "I need to ask you something, but I can't ask it straight out, so…well, I guess, just, well…umm…Has Gus said anything to you about it?"

Per usual there was an ambiguity in Rose's communication which required Elsie to fish for more information.

"Afraid I'm going to need a bit more to go on, love."

Wearing a strapless bra and some silky drawers, Rose crawled to the middle of the bed and rested on her knees, arms folded across her chest as she fretted, "Well, that's the thing. I can't just, you know, because he said he would tell you, but since you don't know, I don't think he has, but I don't want to say because he said he would, and maybe I should just let him, but we like have to let them know soon and I'm afraid we won't if he doesn't tell you, so maybe I shouldn't, but then he..."

No clearer about what they were actually speaking and fearing they'd miss the party if she let Rose continue to ramble, Elsie calmly asked, "Rose, sweetheart, why don't you just tell me? And then if Gus tells me later I won't let on that you did tell me, and this way I'll know what you are actually talking about."

"You promise you won't tell I told you?"

Elsie nodded, "Cross my heart."

"Alright, but you really can't because I don't want him to think-"

"Not a word, love. I swear it."

Glancing over her shoulder at the closed door, Rose took a deep breath before turning back. "We've been looking at flats and we found one that is only about ten minutes away, but the agent has to know by the end of the day on the first of November, you know, because we would need to pay the first and last and the deposits and all that, but the last couple of days Gus, see he keeps putting me off when I bring it up or when I asked him if he's talked to you so I'm afraid he's changed his mind, but I think he doesn't want to tell me he's changed his mind because he knows I want it so much, but I think he is scared to tell you because he thinks you'll be too sad all on your own here without him, well without us, but like I said, it's only ten minutes away and we would still totally come here for our dinner and on weekends and to do our laundry and stuff so you wouldn't be alone all the time. Or would it make you too sad? I mean, I love Gus so much and I want to, you know, have like a grown up life in our own flat but I love you, too, because we're like best friends, well not best friends, but you're like the best person I've ever met and I wouldn't want you to be sad or lonely, Elsie."

Relieved to know the subject wasn't nearly as upsetting as she feared, she gave Rose a warm smile as she reached out and took her hand. "You are a very sweet girl, Rose, and if it would make you both happy to get your own flat, of course I support you in every way."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!"

Elsie couldn't help but smile as the girl pulled her into a tight hug.

"Do you think you could talk to Gus? Like not where you would let him know that you know, but like let him know you would be happy if we ever decided to get a flat, just, you know, sort of like it just popped into your head?"

Although she wasn't entirely sure how or when she'd manage it, she gave Rose a nod. "I'll try, love."

Reflecting on the news as she and Rose dressed, she realized she hadn't found it shocking, but in fact, had been wondering when the young couple would decide they wanted the privacy of their own place given Rose's near constant presence at the house. She had even decided to broach the subject with them after the Christmas holiday, with an offer to use some of Joe's life insurance money to help with expenses. Relieved to know they wouldn't be moving far, although she wasn't sure she wanted them around quite as much as Rose had intimated, she was deep in thought while sliding up the invisible zipper on the side of her dress as Rose asked, "So, what do you think?"

She turned to find the young woman looking quite the convincing flapper in a bright pink fringed dress and matching headband over her bobbed blonde wig.

"You look darling!" There was the slightest tinge of relief in Elsie's voice, her fear having been that Rose was going to be in some slutty version of a beloved children's book character or super hero. "That suits you, love, it really does!"

Rose was equally surprised to by the way in which her boyfriend's mother was dressed, the soft fabrics and blue jeans to which she was accustomed a world away from the satin, lace, and fishnets she now donned.

"That is…I mean, wow! You…I had no idea, I mean…oh my God, Elsie! Look at your...I mean really, like look at your..!" Rose pointed at Elsie's chest.

Chuckling, she teased, "Yes, well, I dug them out of the wardrobe. Thought they might be allowed to see the light of day." Turning to look in the mirror, she couldn't deny that the bustier portion of her outfit put her full bosom on display, but no more so than half the women she saw out and about on a normal summer's day. "It's not indecent, is it? I'm not falling out of it."

Rose shook her head, "No! Not at all, you just," she walked towards Elsie, giggling until she tripped over her own shoes which had been left in the middle of the floor and braced herself with both hands pressed against the subject of their conversation. "Ah! Sorry!"

Elsie had managed to stay standing but had to shift backwards as she gave Rose a gentle push so she could regain her balance.

Her mouth open, Rose cried, "Oh my God! I just touched your bosoms!" Her balance regained, she fought not to giggle. "It might be a really inappropriate thing to say to my boyfriend's mum, but you've got really lovely bosoms."

Straight-faced and decidedly cheeky, Elsie dared her: "Have another feel."

The look on Rose's face was priceless, eyes wide open and a mouth to match as she digested what Elsie had just said.

Unable to maintain her somber look, she chuckled and gave the startled young woman a wink as she assured her, "Only joking."

"Thank goodness for that!" Rose let out a gasp which was followed by laughter, before leaning in and quietly admitting, "Because I actually had this dream where you-"

Never sure what might fall out of the sweet, but silly girl's mouth, Elsie interrupted to ask, "Are you sure you should be telling me this, love?"

Another giggle escaping, Rose nodded. "Probably not."

Reprieve from the awkward situation came in the form of Gus knocking on the door and shouting, "Rose! Mum! Guests arriving any minute!"

One last look in the mirror and Rose practically bounced out the door where she was greeted with a whistle before Gus gushed, "You look beautiful, babe!" which was returned with, "Oh, babe, you, too!" as she took in his 1920's gangster pin stripe suit, black and white spats, and matching fedora, while in his hand he carried a toy machine "Tommy" gun.

The sound of the door bell ringing took the young people downstairs as Elsie returned to her vanity to apply a last bit of lipstick. Seeing movement in the reflection of the vanity's mirror, she was quite confident it was Charles watching her from the doorway. "Well, howdy, cowboy," she offered as she turned to greet him, although whatever she was going to say next flew out of her head struck as she was by how handsome, and she couldn't deny, sexy he looked from the tan hat atop his head to his dark blue shirt with it's pearl snap buttons and burgundy bandana scarf around his neck. Moving to his lower half, she swallowed hard at the sight of his tight-fitting jeans. Dark brown cowboy boots finishing off the look, she thought he put every Hollywood matinee star from John Wayne to Gary Cooper to shame.

Charles was equally speechless as his eyes traveled the length of her body beginning with the top of the two peacock feathers which had been tucked-in so they jutted out from her up-do which consisted of soft curls pinned up with a few ringlets framing her face. He moved to her full ivory décolletage which made his already snug denim feel even tighter before appreciating the rest of the midnight blue satin saloon girl dress which matched her eyes perfectly, its corset hugging her curves and highlighting her small waist.

Clearing her throat, she half-whispered, "Thought a cowboy needed a saloon girl."

"You look beautiful." The words fell easily from his lips as he continued to gaze at her.

Over the years they had attended countless parties together; dinner, Christmas, New Year's, birthday, christening, house warming, graduation, and Halloween, but outside of Josie's last birthday party, Joe had always been there serving as a partner of sort to each of them. Now, alone in her bedroom, they found themselves suddenly a matching pair of partner-less partners.

"Thank you for granting my-" Elsie was unable to continue as Rose suddenly appeared at Charles' shoulder.

"Well don't just stand there, you great big donuts! Come down! People are here!"

* * *

Making their way down the stairs, they found the house quickly filling with, as Elsie had expected, a mix of slutty storybook characters and wannabe superheroes. The music bumping up in volume after Gus's adjustment, he recruited a rather scrawny Voldemort to work the beer keg while he and Rose greeted their friends.

"I'll get us drinks," Charles yelled over the growing volume.

Elsie had opened her mouth to ask for a white wine when she felt a tug on her elbow.

"This can't be my sister!"

She spun around to find what had to be the saddest costuming of the night in the form of Richard dressed as a Dalmatian, complete with white face and a black patch painted round his eye with a bright red leash hanging from his collar which was in the hand of Rosamunde who was a stunning Cruella DeVille in a slinky black silk dress over which she wore a fantastic white shaggy coat with black cuffs and collar.

"You both look amazing!" Elsie announced with a forced smile before leaning in to kiss her brother's cheek and whispering, "A leash? We're going to talk before the night is out if I have to jerk it out of her puppy-murdering hands."

Inhaling deeply, he nodded before stepping back so the women could greet one another.

"I was about to get drinks, what'll you and Roz have?" Charles asked, politely ignoring his friend's current tethered situation.

"I'll come with," Richard offered before turning back to Rosamunde, his hand extended. "You've had your fun. I'll go get us drinks."

Her cool expression having not thawed in the slightest, she dropped the leash. "Vodka."

Maintaining a cheery disposition, Elsie offered, "We have tonic, soda, coke…" only to be interrupted as Roz cocked an eyebrow and surveyed the loud, youthful group.

"Oh, I won't be needing any of that. I plan on getting fucking slaughtered."

* * *

An hour later, Elsie and Charles had just gotten a cranky Michael and a loopy Josie settled into chairs in the front room, when a crying Rose suddenly rushed past them followed by an obviously upset Gus in her wake.

"Rose! Wait! At least talk to me!"

"What's that?" Josie yelled, pointing in the direction where the young couple had just disappeared.

"Looks like they've had words," Elsie answered, quite certain she knew about what.

"Mmm….," Josie surveyed the room for a moment before asking, "Why are they all dressed like puffs?"

Michael rolled his eyes, "They aren't puffs, they're sluts and Batmans!"

Quite unexpectedly, Josie suddenly pointed at a young man dressed as Deadpool on the far side of the room and announced, "Before I'd die, I'd like to have sex with a black man."

Elsie and Charles exchanged bewildered looks as Michael barked, "We just got here! How much have you had to drink?!"

"I'm not drunk! I'm just saying I'd like to have sex with a black man, or a Jewish man for that matter."

Trying to diffuse the situation, Elsie spoke up. "That young man is just dressed up as a comic book character, Josie."

"I know. I'm just saying, before I die, I'd like to have sex with either a black man or a Jew."

"Josephine, you're being racist!" her husband shouted, his arms crossed as he turned away from her.

"I'm not! I said I'd like to make love to them! That's not racist!"

Looking over his shoulder, Michael sneered, "It is, too! You'd eat them alive."

* * *

Making sure the older couple had full plates and glasses, while also saying a prayer there was too much noise for anyone to hear their bickering, Charles and Elsie had agreed to step outside to get some air when a sullen Gus appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Everything alright, love?" Elsie asked.

"No. I think Rose is breaking up with me."

Glancing over her shoulder at Charles, she received an encouraging nod before he stepped back to clear the way for them to step into the front garden.

"Come on, sweetheart. Let's get some air."

The front door closing behind them, the noise from inside was muted and they were left in relative silence as they made their way to the small brick wall that separated their property from the pavement and street.

"I don't know if you want to talk about it, but I'm here to listen or we can just sit for a few minutes. Whatever you want, love."

Focused on trailing his finger down the pinstripe running down the center of his thigh, Gus was quiet for a few seconds before he admitted, "Rose and I have been talking about…well, about big things, you know, changes, but I'm not sure I'm ready to make them."

Waiting until she was sure he wasn't going to continue, Elsie's response was carefully measured so not to reveal she knew about the flat. "I see. And are you not ready to make these big changes because you think they will make you unhappy?"

He frowned, still concentrating on his leg as he shook his head. "It's not that I don't think they'd make me happy. I think they would, but I think they might not make other people happy and _that_ would make me unhappy." He turned and looked at her. "Does that make sense?"

She nodded. "It does. And I don't know what these exact changes are, but if they would make you happy, I can't think of anyone in your life who would be unhappy about you being happy. Have you thought of it that way?"

He let his head fall back, his eyes scanning the dark sky. "I get what you mean, but these changes, well, this one big change, it would affect someone else very much and because of how things are, I wouldn't want to do that to her."

Touched deeply by his concern for her, she felt the onset of tears and a smile as she tucked her arm around his. "You are a very sweet boy, Gus-Gus, and if I am the "her" you are worried about, I can promise you, whatever this change is, if it would make both you and Rose happy, I will be nothing but tickled pink for you."

He shifted his arm so it was around her shoulders, suddenly aware of the fact that she had nothing to shield her from the chilly night air. "So, let's just say, for example, if Rose and I decided to like move into a flat, I mean one nearby, of course, like not far away at all, and we'd still come by all the time, you would be okay with that? You wouldn't be mad at me for leaving you alone in the house?"

"Just for example?" She smiled knowingly up at him.

Her grin was contagious as he admitted, "Well, we found a flat and it's affordable, but we have to give them an answer by November first, which is practically tomorrow so I told Rose I wasn't ready."

"Because you are worried I will be too sad and lonely? Oh, love…"

The grin fell away as he interrupted, "But it's not just that. I don't know that I'm ready to leave home because it feels like…like I'd be leaving Dad behind, too. Like when I'm here, it's like there's still a part of him with me."

"Oh, Gus-Gus…" Wrapping her arms around him it struck her that whether he was five or fifty, he would always be her little boy. "Your dad is with you all the time, honey, no matter where you are, and I promise you will always have this home to come to. That won't change whether you sleep in your bed upstairs or sleep in a flat ten minutes away, or even in one five hundred miles away."

"I just miss him so much, Mum."

"I know, sweetheart. Me, too."

They held onto one another for a few more moments until Gus pulled back to look at her. "But I also don't want to lose Rose, Mum."

"Of course."

"I mean she's good and she's funny, even when she doesn't know it, and beautiful and I love being with her. I want to be with her all the time."

Elsie nodded in agreement, still smiling although she felt a slight pain in her chest as she remembered feeling exactly like this about Joe, not only when she was Gus's age, but also in the weeks just after he died. In that moment, however, she also realized that the pain she was feeling wasn't nearly as devastating or debilitating as it had been before which inspired her to look in the direction of the house, wondering briefly where Charles was and what he was doing.

"And you know, sometimes, I think, well, you've got to look at the bigger picture and think about what's best for not just you, but for those around you, right?"

"Right."

"And like you said, I can come here and visit whenever I want."

"Of course."

"And we could come keep you company for dinner and on weekends, and you could come over and see us if you ever felt lonely."

"Definitely."

His smile was grateful as he decided, "Then we'll do it."

She squeezed his hand as he stood. "Thank you for worrying about me, but you really don't need to, love. I'm alright. I'm really alright."

"I'm glad, Mum. And maybe with Rose and me being out of the house more, you'll have some time to yourself. Get some hobbies and maybe make some new friends or something?"

She wrinkled her nose in surprise. "I've got friends, Gus."

"Well, I mean like your own friends, not just Dad's. That way Charlie won't always be creeping about, you know?"

"Gus-"

His focus on making it back to Rose, he dismissed her with a shake of his hand. "Thanks for the talk, Mum. Rose is going to be so happy when I tell her!"

Wiping away the remnants of her tears from earlier, she closed her eyes, face to the sky, wondering how she could go from wanting to cradle her son in her arms one minute and strangle him by the neck the next.

"You're going to catch your death."

She jumped at the sound of Charles' voice, her hand over her heart as she felt him wrap her coat around her shoulders, his arm lingering around her back.

"Thank you."

"Everything alright?"

She nodded her head, although her expression was fairly blank as she explained, "Gus and Rose are going to move into a flat."

"And you are happy about that? Sad about that?"

She kicked a pebble with the toe of her shoe before looking up at him. "A bit of both, I suppose."

"Sad they are leaving, but happy they are happy?"

Chuckling she teased, "Happy they are leaving and sad they are only going to be ten minutes away."

"Oh, come now."

"I know, I know. I'm sure I _will_ miss them…eventually."

Feeling her shiver inspired him to pull her a bit closer, his large hand gently moving up and down the far side of the coat.

Truth be told, it wasn't the cold which had caused her to shiver, but the smell of his cologne and the feel of his warmth around her, and she reveled in the friction created by his touch over her arm.

"This is nice, isn't it?"

He thought he had imagined her whispered words until he felt her fingers brush over the top of his free hand, wrapping around it as she stroked his knuckles with her thumb.

"Elsie, that day, with Rose…"

His words faded into the wind as the sounds of the front door opening and Rose squealing startled them apart.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" The young woman threw arms around Elsie, rocking her side to side. "You did it! You talked him into it!"

"Not exactly. I think I may have given him some reassurances that allowed him to come to the decision, but it was _his_ decision, love."

"Whatever it was, thank you! I'm so excited! Now come in! It's colder than a witch's tit…" Rose threw her hand over her mouth. "Oh. My. God. Did you hear that? I wasn't even thinking and it's Halloween and I just said witch's…oh my literal God! Like how crazy is that?! That is so hilarious! I have to tell Gus!"

Being practically dragged back to the house, Elsie was turning to look back at Charles when Rose suddenly stopped. "Oh, and you might want to check on Michael and Josie. It's kind of gross. She keeps winking and blowing kisses at guys and he's throwing cheese puffs at them and people keep asking me who those people are in the corner dressed like the Walking Dead."

* * *

The party finally ending around two, Elsie had just made a last check on Josie and Michael who were tucked into her bed when she walked downstairs to find Richard draping a quilt around Rosamunde who was passed out in the recliner in the living room.

"Pssst." Having gotten his attention, she gestured towards the front door with her head before pulling two rubbish liners out of the box she had left on the entry table earlier when she, Gus, Charles, and Rose had split up to at least collect trash from around the house before calling it a night.

"You sure you don't mind us staying? I could try to get her into an Uber."

Leading him into the yard which was peppered with red plastic cups and beer bottles, she shook her head. "No need. Gus and Rose are going over to stay in Maddy's spare room and Charles didn't drink much so he said he can drive home. One of us can take the sofa and the other can sleep in Gus's bed."

"So, Miss Kitty, you and your cowboy there. You looked pretty cute tonight the pair of you."

She was glad she was looking away, her lips insisting on forming a smile at his comment.

"Says the grown man dressed as a puppy dog."

"Not my idea, I can assure you."

Their paths having led them over by the brick wall, she picked up a few bottles from atop it before sitting down.

"Do you remember what we talked about at Josie's birthday party? About trying to be happy?"

Richard sighed but nodded as he joined her. "I do."

"It went for both of us if I recall."

He nodded again and asked, "So how is it working out for you?"

She pulled her coat tighter around her as she considered how to answer. "Let's just say I am opening myself up to possibilities."

Glancing over at her, he was cheered to see her smiling. "Opportunities of the cowboy variety?"

"Perhaps," she answered before biting her bottom lip. "And you?"

"Well," he glanced up at the house, his thoughts going to the passed-out woman sitting on the other side of the front window. "You promise you won't say anything to anyone?"

Sitting up straight, she nodded her head enthusiastically. "Of course. You have my strictest confidence. Always. You know that."

He took a deep breath before whispering, "I found her."

Elsie studied his profile, unsure what he meant. "You found who? You found Rosamunde?"

"No, no! Isobel. Isobel Jacobs, well Isobel Crawley for a while and now Isobel Merton. I was on Facebook and her face popped up I guess because of school or maybe mutual friends, I don't know, I mean Facebook somehow knows what you had for breakfast, I'm not surprised it knew about my girlfriend from forty years ago."

"Isobel! Oh my goodness! That's amazing. So where is she?"

"She lives just outside Bath."

Elsie leaned towards him, disbelief on her face. "She lives less than twenty kilometers away?"

"Eighteen point five to be exact and I happen to know that because I went to her house for coffee yesterday morning."

"Shut the front door!" She slapped his knee. "You've seen her? Wait, you said her name is now Merton. So, she's married?"

"Widowed. Retired MP who died five years ago. She had a son who was killed in a car accident when he was in his early thirties, so she's on her own now."

"Wow. Isobel Jacobs. What's she like?"

Joy of a genuine nature registered on his face as he answered, "Lovely. Kind and beautiful. Just like she was forty years ago."

Elsie scowled, "Rich, she broke your heart."

He shook his head. "She didn't."

She cocked her head, eyebrow arching as she reminded him, "I was there, love. She broke up with you and six months later we found out she'd married that older guy."

"You're right about her leaving me, but it's my fault that she did."

"What do you mean?"

"She'd given me an ultimatum. I wasn't taking school seriously and I was drinking and smoking a lot of weed instead of focusing on my studies and securing a future for us like she was and I didn't take her seriously and get my act together, so she ended it. You didn't see it because I was away at Uni and you were still at home and wrapped up in Joe. I just told everyone she'd left me so I could use my broken heart as an excuse for why I dropped out of school."

"Richard…"

His shoulders fell and he stared as his feet. "I deserve this, my life, the way it is now, it's because I threw everything away back then. It's why I put up with Rosamunde. I deserve to be treated the way she treats me because I couldn't be the man that Isobel deserved."

Expecting his sister to pull him into an embrace, he was stunned when she gave him a light smack up the back side of his head. "Richard Hughes Clarkson! You absolute and complete idiot!"

"Ow!"

"Oh, shut up! You make me crazy, you know that?"

He looked back at her totally confused. "Why?"

"Because you think you _deserve_ to be treated like shit? Good lord! This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You were an immature twenty-year-old who made a few unfortunate choices. Well guess what, sweetheart? Everyone makes a few unfortunate choices when they are twenty. Why do you think my son has the word "Snot" tattooed on his right butt cheek? Gus has to live with that. You do not have to live with Rosamunde."

Richard stared at her for a moment before a small smile snuck onto his face. "So, you're saying Rosamunde is snot on my butt cheek."

Laughing heartily, Elsie nodded and then added, "I think Rosamunde is snot on everyone's butt cheek." They both fought to catch their breath before Elsie asked, "So, you've had coffee with the very lovely, very kind, and very widowed Isobel. What's next?"

"I told her I would call her next week."

"And you are going to?"

"Well, my sister seems to think I should."

"Mmm…and your sister is usually right about most things, isn't she?"

He nodded.

"Promise you'll call her?" She held out her hand, pinky extended. "Swear it."

Linking his finger with hers he nodded, "Pinky swear."

* * *

Rose having joined Elsie and Richard who were now in the house, the Charles and Gus were folding up various lawn chairs and turning out the battery-operated candles and twinkle lights in the back garden when the younger of the two suddenly said, "I think it's going to be good for my mum, you know? Rose and me moving into our own flat. She'll have more time for herself."

The comment seemingly coming from out of the blue, Charles wasn't quite sure of his footing, and so he simply agreed. "Yes. That'll be good."

"Yeah. And maybe she'll start to get out more."

"Yes. You know, she and I were actually talking about getting a subscription to the symphony. They have some-"

Gus stopped mid-fold of the chair in his arms to interrupt. "I mean new friends. She needs to make new friends, you know. Start fresh since my dad's gone."

Charles felt as though he had been hit in the chest, but managed to utter, "Ah, yes. Well, it's always good to make new friends. You can't have too many friends."

"And you know she'll always love my dad."

It pained Charles to be talked to so bluntly and hurtfully by the young man he had known so since the day he was born, but assuring himself this was grief talking, he simply nodded. "She will."

"And my dad, he was like the most amazing person in the world."

"He was. I know he was, Gus. You know he was like a brother to me."

There was a sob on the edge of Gus's voice as he asked, "Then why are trying to steal his wife?"

A moment passed when Charles was unsure his legs would hold him up and he had to reach down and use the picnic table's edge for support.

"Gussy! Come on! The Uber's here and Maddy's waiting up to let us in."

Oblivious to what had just transpired, Rose's voice was light and playful as she called from the back door.

Looking over his shoulder, Gus gave her a wave, turning back only briefly to say, "I'll get the rest of these tomorrow. You can go on home. Thanks for helping with the party."

The back door slamming, Charles paced for a few moments before pulling out his phone and considering texting Elsie to join him outside, but Gus's painful words still spinning in his brain, he lost his temper and threw the device as hard as he could into the darkness of the back of the garden where it hit something with a pop.

"Fuck."

Jogging back into the shadows beneath the big tree he was bent over searching for his phone when he froze as he heard the backdoor open, unable to bring himself to answer as Elsie called out his name.

* * *

Stepping out into the back yard, Elsie called out Charles' name a few times, but received no answer.

Returning to the entry she opened the drawer to fetch out her cell before moving upstairs to Gus's room. Quickly dialing his number, she was dismayed when it went directly to voicemail.

"Hey, it's me. I wanted to tell you thank you so much and goodnight, but I think you must have already headed home. You were so wonderful to come and help. You are always so good to me. To us. I enjoyed having my own personal cowboy. Am sure we will all be sleeping in but give me a call when you get up and around and we can set up coffee or something for next week and talk more about the symphony. Okay, well, thank you again. Goodnight."

Trying to convince herself he had gone home without saying goodbye out of sheer exhaustion, or perhaps because he thought she had already gone to bed, she couldn't shake the sense that something had happened between he and Gus and it niggled at her for quite some time until she finally drifted off.

* * *

After five text messages and six phone calls went unacknowledged over the next week, she finally gave up the next Sunday night and drove over to his house only to find it dark.

"You looking for Charles?"

An elderly man who had been sweeping the porch of the next house over called out to her.

"Yes. I've tried his phone over the last few days, but it may broken or lost or something."

The old man shrugged. "Don't know about that, but he asked me to keep an eye on his place because he's been taking care of his mother for the last week. She's been in hospital."

Elsie's chest clenched at the fact that he hadn't reached out to let her know. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

-break-

"Mrs. Carson was released two days ago."

The news came as a relief to know that Maureen Carson was getting better, but the front desk attendant's confirmation didn't ease her hurt over the fact that not only hadn't he neglected to tell her, but that he wasn't responding to her at all.

Ten minutes later she was sitting in her car on the opposite side of the street, looking at the familiar Volvo parked in his mother's drive.

Her eyes drifting from the car to the façade of Charles' childhood home, she was struck by how truly lovely it was, not that she hadn't always thought so. When she and Joe had first been married and Charles' father was alive, they'd spent many summer weekends in the large back garden enjoying big barbecues, and she could remember driving home to their dingy flat and confiding in Joe, "If I ever had my pick of houses, I'd pick that one."

Trying one last time, she fished her phone out of her purse and typed in his number only for it to once again go directly to voice mail.

"Look, I'm not sure what happened, Charlie, but I would give anything if you'd give me the chance to make it right. I miss you. I miss my friend. I just…I miss you."

Ending the call, she wiped away a stray tear before pulling back onto the street to head home.

* * *

Her heart beat wildly having been jolted awake by the sound of her phone ringing at four in the morning, she struggled to focus on the unfamiliar numbers on the screen.

"Hello?"

The sound of hitched breathing filled her ear before she heard him say, "My mum died, Elsie."

"Oh, Charlie." Sitting up in bed, she held the phone tightly to her ear, gently rocking back and forth in an unconscious means of comforting him. "I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"They think it happened not long after she went to sleep. Her heart just stopped. I was staying over and went to check on her one last time and…" his voice cracked as he forced himself to say, "…she wasn't breathing."

"Oh, love. Oh, Charlie, I'm so sorry."

"They said she wouldn't have known a thing about it; that it was peaceful."

"Oh, bless her. I'm just…Oh God, Charlie. I'm just so sorry."

He took a strangled breath, desperate to regain his composure, although the sound of her sweet, kind voice on the other end of the line was proving to be his undoing.

"I'm sorry I woke you. I don't know why…"

"Don't be silly. I'm glad you called. Where are you? I didn't recognize the number."

"Oh, hospital. I…dropped my phone and it shattered a couple of weeks ago and I haven't had the chance to replace it so I had to use the hospital's phone. I'm here waiting for them to bring me her things."

She was out of bed and pulling on her jeans as he explained they wanted to give him her teeth and her wedding rings.

"I'm coming. Just stay there, alright? I'll be right there."

* * *

His eyes were swollen, exhaustion teaming with gravity to give his face a rather hang-dog look when she found him dozing on a hard chair in a waiting area outside of A&E. She lowered herself to his side, hesitating only briefly before slipping her hand in his.

His eyes remained closed, but she heard him exhale deeply as he tightened his fingers around hers. "Dozed off."

"I'm sure you're exhausted." She reached across and gave his arm a rub before resting her cheek against his shoulder. "Still no teeth or rings?"

He let out a low chuckle as he let his head roll to the side, finally opening his blood-shot eyes to look at her. "No, although I'm not sure what to do with either."

She was opening her mouth to explain that the undertakers would most likely want her teeth if she was going to have a viewing but was distracted by the fact that he had started shaking. Fearing he was suffering the impact of another emotional wave, she moved quickly to stand in front of him, only to realize he was shaking with laughter. "Charlie? What on earth?"

"Sorry!" He was in the middle of a fit of giggles over which he had no control, tears escaping out of the corners of his eyes as he fought to manage an elusive modicum of control.

The laughter was contagious, and while she had no idea at what they were actually laughing, she joined him.

"Oh my…oh my goodness. That felt good. I needed that," he managed after about a minute, wiping his eyes with his free hand while trying to take deep, even breaths.

"What got you?" she asked as she dug in her bag for a small packet of tissues. "Here." Handing one over, she watched expectantly as he blew his nose.

"I was just remembering something."

When he didn't continue, she gave his arm a playful tug. "Well, go on!"

"I was just remembering the first time she wore her dentures out in public after she got them. I'd taken her to dinner for her birthday and we went to Golden Village, you know how she loved Golden Village."

Elsie nodded, an encouraging smile on her face as she waited for him to continue.

"Well, she always ordered that Grinning Buddha special that comes with the wonton soup and I suppose she hadn't quite gotten the handle on applying the fixing gel and when she leaned over her bowl to smell the soup, both parts, upper and lower, fell into the bowl and soup splattered everywhere!"

He started to laugh again, the image replaying in his mind.

A giggle in her voice, Elsie shook her head, "Oh no! Poor Maureen! Was she just mortified?"

"No, that's the thing!" His face was animated as he recalled what had followed the splash. "Ming ran over to find out what had happened, and Mum, all gums, mind you, pointed down at the soup and then looked up at him and said, "I didn't know the Grinning Buddha came with an actual grin! And ever since they had this joke where she'd tell him, The Grinning Buddha, please, but hold the grin."

As quickly as his laughter had set in before, a sob suddenly erupted from his throat which led to him covering his face with both his hands to stifle the sound.

"Oh, Charlie, oh, love." She wrapped her arms as far around him as she could, gently rocking him until the sound of someone behind her clearing his throat drew her attention.

"Are you the Carson's?"

Reflexively turning away to wipe his face, embarrassed he had lost control of his emotions, Charles looked toward the other end of the hall, leaving Elsie to answer the young orderly.

"Yes, we're with Maureen Carson. This is her son."

"Ah, well, here are her things." The young man passed over a plastic bag containing a small envelope with her wedding rings inside, the nightgown and knickers she had been wearing, and a small case holding the much talked about teeth, which Elsie tucked into her purse.

His trembling back still to her, she didn't say anything, but placed her hand between his shoulder blades and began running gentle circles as she remembered him doing the same for her the night Joe had died.

* * *

Unlike at Joe's funeral where Charles had been sat in the row behind the family, Elsie, Gus, and Rose sat with him on the front pew which had been designated for the family of Maureen Carson in the main chapel of Molesley and Son's Funeral Home and Crematorium.

As he had at his friend's service, Charles had agreed to read the obituary, but in place of a piece of poetry, he had decided to share a few personal words about his mother.

Standing at the lectern, he had made it through the short obituary, but found his throat growing thick as he unfolded the paper from his breast pocket on which he had recorded a few remarks. Looking up, he opened his mouth but feeling a sob was on the verge of escaping, he refrained from speaking, his eyes moving to Elsie who wore an encouraging smile as she nodded at him before silently mouthing, "You can do it."

Giving his head a shake and clearing his throat, he felt his vocal chords had relaxed enough for him to make sound.

"The last time I spoke with my Mum was only a few hours before she passed. She'd been in the hospital over the last week with pneumonia but was doing much better, so she told me to go home and sleep in my own bed but there was something nagging in the back of my mind, so I insisted that she let me stay just in case she needed anything. For those of you who knew her, you know this was far more about her letting me stay to make _myself_ feel better that it was about me staying to ease _her_ mind, but that was Mum. Whatever she could do for you, that was what was important. She was good like that. Giving. Loving."

His voice began to betray him again, but he managed to focus on Elsie for a moment and boosted by her smile, he managed to carry on.

"I'm ever so grateful for that last evening with her because we had a wonderful talk. We talked about things as inconsequential as the weather or the guests that week on her beloved Lorraine but we also took some lovely trips down memory lane where she recalled stories from my childhood and of her courtship with my father, some of which I knew and some I didn't."

Pausing for a moment, he focused on the unfamiliar feel of his mother's gold wedding band resting against the center of his breast bone beneath his shirt where it hung on a chain, unseen by the rest of the world.

"When we were looking at some old photo albums, she recalled one of the first dates she had with my dad at a fun park and she talked about riding the dodge 'ems, and holding hands with him on the Ferris wheel, and about eating loads of pink candy floss, and how he'd won her a Kewpie doll, but then she stopped talking for a moment and gave me this very sweet smile and said, "You know, that was night I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with your dad."

The congregation was filled with smiles as he paused to take a breath before continuing: "She told me he really wanted them to ride this large wooden roller coaster which was called The Bone Shaker or something of the like, which absolutely terrified her, so she refused, but for those of you who knew my dad remember that he wasn't one to easily give up, and so he sat her down on a bench and very calmly said, 'I know you're scared of it, Maureen, but I think if you'd just give it a try, you'll find it's far more thrilling than actually scary, and I'm going to be right there by your side so if you get scared, you just hold onto me and I promise I won't let anything happen to you,' and so, while she was still fairly terrified, she agreed, and they got on and over the first big hill she said she did grab onto him and press her face against his shoulder with her eyes shut tight, but on the next hill she made herself open her eyes, and then the next she lifted her head, and by the last few hills both she and my dad had their hands in the air and were smiling and screaming with delight at the top of their lungs. And she said it was then, when they were getting off the ride, that was when she knew that she had found the person with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life because she knew that no matter what was to happen, what was to come over the next hill, she would have him to hold onto or to bury her face against, or to share the joy of lifting their hands together in the air and screaming at the top of their lungs because that is what life is: it's a series of climbs and falls and unexpected turns, but if you are lucky like she was and have someone like my dad beside you, it can be quite a fantastic ride."

Looking back at the front pew, he watched Gus wrap his arm around Rose, and then a few pews behind them he caught Richard smiling warmly at the lovely woman next to him who was decidedly _not_ Rosemunde. It was only when he returned to the front row and locked eyes with Elsie did he realize there were tears running down his cheeks.

"Sorry."

He was distracted momentarily by her shifting forward to the edge of the pew, an unconscious show of concern which he quelled with an appreciative smile as he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket.

"It seems like I've cried more in the last eight months than I have during the sum total of the rest of my life between losing my dear friend Joe and now Mum, but I'd like to say that for the first time in a while, these aren't sad tears, but quite happy ones because I know that she had a really wonderful life and now she's back with my dad and I like to think that wherever they are there is wind in their hair, the smell of candy floss and popcorn in the air, and that they are flying over some fantastically thrilling hill."

* * *

Between helping Gus and Rose move, her school schedule, and his taking care of tying up the legal-side of things regarding his mother, Elsie and Charles hadn't seen each other much during the month of November, so it was a lovely surprise one late Friday afternoon when he found her standing on the other side of his mother's front door.

"Well, hello and to what do I owe this honor?"

"Well, you're a fairly honorable sort, Mr. Carson, and also I haven't talked to you in a while and I was out running errands, so I thought I'd take a chance and see if you were here."

He stepped back, ushering her in, "Well, come in! It's freezing out. I'll make you a cup of tea."

She followed him into the kitchen but moved slower, allowing herself to look about the large front room, remembering dancing for hours on the hard wood floors beneath her as the old hi-fi stereo which still sat in the corner spun Motown, Beatles, and other music from her adolescence.

"What have you been up to today?" She perched on a high stool the opposite side of the counter from where he was assembling their tea.

"Ah, well, today was estimate day. I've had a man by to look at the roof, a woman to look at the plumbing, another fellow to check the foundation, and then a very annoying woman named Wigan just left who comes in and stages, I think that's what she called it anyway. The realtor sent her over to look at the house and she will come in and move the furniture and hang art and the like to make it appealing to buyers."

"So, you're selling?" There was sadness in Elsie's voice as she glanced about the spacious kitchen that would make three of the one in her small semi.

He was surprised by her reaction. "It's a bit too big for a bachelor, don't you think. This is a house for a family; for holidays and summer barbecues."

She twisted in her chair, gazing out through the French doors that led into the back garden. "I was thinking the other day about those barbecues your mum and dad used to throw back when we were all Gus and Rose's age."

"They loved having everyone over. How two such fun, social souls ended up with an old curmudgeon for a son I'll never know."

"Oh, stop. Don't pick on my friend she chided, before letting her thoughts drift to the memories she had of Charles' dad manning the grill wearing a chef hat and an apron that read _Kiss the Cook_. "We loved being fed such wonderful food when we were mostly living on Chinese take out and sandwiches and bowls of cereal, as I recall. And your mum was always so sweet to me. My mum was long dead and Josie was as crazy then as she is now, so it was your mum who helped me when Gus was tiny."

"I didn't know that."

She turned back around to look at him. "I called her at least once a day I think during the first few months, and then at least three or four times a month until he was a year old. I remember she assured me it was perfectly normal for a newborn to have multiple dirty nappies a day when I thought my milk was just running right through him, and she told me to try rubbing sherry on his gums to ease his teething pain, and she even came over to the house to help me give him his first bath. I was so completely terrified he would slip out of my hands or that I would hurt him. She was so wonderful, your mum."

The kettle whistling, he flipped the switch and was pouring the water into the pot to steep when he noted, "You talk about her like Rose talks about you."

"Oh, dear." They both laughed, but she quickly added, "I shouldn't say that. She's a lovely girl and she makes Gus happy."

"Did they get moved alright? Sorry I wasn't there to help, but…" his voice trailed off as he stepped into the pantry to fetch biscuits.

"You've had so much on your plate, Charlie. Oh, my goodness, please don't worry about that. They have so many friends. I bought pizza and beer and it was done in a matter of hours."

Pausing in the middle of putting the biscuits on a plate, he glanced up and asked, "And you? Do you have any new friends?"

The question was unexpected, and she looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

He smiled politely and gave his head a little shake. "Nothing. It's nothing. You want lemon or milk?"

"Neither, please, but why did you ask me that?"

He busied himself with unnecessarily filling a pitcher with milk and pulling out a wooden tray, refusing to meet her eye. "It really doesn't matter."

She was around the counter and behind him before he realized she had moved so he flinched when she placed her hand in the middle of his back. "Charlie."

He turned around slowly, wishing he'd never asked the question.

"It's just something Gus said."

"What? When?"

"The tea." He pointed at the pot before slipping past her, pouring a bit of milk in one cup before adding tea to both of the pieces of his mother's prized bone china. "It was on the night of the Halloween party. When he and I were cleaning up the back garden."

"What did he say?"

"He said he thought it was a good thing that he and Rose moving out so you could have some time to yourself and to get out a bit and I told him I agreed and then about how we had discussed getting a subscription to the symphony and he clarified that he had meant you needed new friends, and then he told me you would always love Joe and then he asked me why I was trying to steal my best friend's wife."

The blood drained from Elsie's face as she stared at Charles for a moment before taking a few quick steps to lean against the sink in case she threw up. "I can't believe he…Jesus Christ. Oh, Charlie, I'm so sorry. He had no right. He had absolutely no right and to say those things to _you_ , _to you_ who have been like a second, oh that little shit! I am going to, just aghhhhh! That little shit!"

"It's alright. Truly. I won't lie and say it didn't hurt my feelings, but I know it was just his grief talking and he's still very young. I shouldn't have said anything. Just let it go."

"Let it go? I bloody well will not! He had no right, Charlie!"

Handing her a cup, he took her elbow and gently led her to the breakfast table before retrieving the tray.

She put her cup down, not trusting her trembling hand with the delicate piece as angry as she was. "That's why you left without saying goodbye that night?"

He nodded. "Didn't want to be where I wasn't wanted."

She reached out and laid her hand over his. "He didn't speak for me then and he doesn't speak for me now."

He shook his head and smiled at her before gently pulling his hand from beneath hers. "I know that which i why we're still friends and why we are having tea and why we will still meet for coffee and ice cream on occasion and go to the symphony now and then and why I called you when my mum died because that's what friends do. I just don't want, well, just, you don't need to be too hard on him. He just misses his dad, and look, please don't worry. I'm Charlie, aren't I? I'm boring, I mean I think some people warm to me, but they don't really know me, do they? And just…well, anyway, just don't worry about it. We'll meet and catch up and do things that friends do. I just don't want there to be any bad feelings between you and Gus. As long as we're good and we are."

Leaning back in her chair, she studied him for a moment before rising abruptly and leaving the room.

"Elsie?"

He was unsure whether to remain or follow her, but looking over to find her coat and purse still sitting on the stool from earlier, he was certain she hadn't left.

A minute or so had passed when he suddenly heard a light scratching sound followed by rock-n-roll guitars being played, the volume growing as Elsie obviously fiddled with the knob of his parent's old record player.

 _Oh, yeah, I'll tell you something I think you'll understand_

 _When I say that something_

 _I want to hold your hand…_

"Get in here, Charles Carson!"

Moving faster than he had in ages, he rushed into the front room to find her dancing, bouncing back and forth from one foot to the other, her elegant hands drawing curved shapes in the air as she smiled at him. "Dance with me, Charlie."

Decidedly heavier than he had been when they had danced to this music forty-odd years ago, wasn't sure he could manage it and had only taken a few hesitant steps towards her when she suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand, swinging and swaying a bit in front of him before moving in close to his body and grabbing his other hand which she then wrapped around behind her to create his embrace.

The music carrying along at its happy tempo, she established a subtler sway as she moved her hands to his shoulders, looking up at his smiling, but puzzled face. Giving her head a little shake, she smiled as she admitted, *"I don't know why, I mean I do know why, I just don't know when or where it happened, but its just sort of crept up on me….and I can't stop thinking about you…I mean, I'd love to find you boring... Love to look at you and not notice your eyes. I'd love to go to bed at night and not think of you and wake up in the morning and not think about you and I'd love to get a text from you and reply to it instead of standing there like an idiot, finding that suddenly all the words in the world are difficult, even the little ones. I mean when did that happen?* But what am I going to do in between the now and then coffees and the monthly symphony trips when I look around the house and see all the little things you've done for me that make me adore you?"

He stopped their swaying, frozen for a moment as tears formed. Swallowing hard he then whispered, "I'm still waiting for the punchline."

Her voice was gentle and her hand soft as she rested it against his cheek. "Well, there isn't one."

"But what you said that day to Rose, that maybe you're just missing Joe."

She shook her head, "No, no."

"I mean I understand if-"

"No." She moved her other hand so that she was cupping his face. "I've had a lot of time since the Halloween party to think on it and I realized that everything I think and I do and I say, I just want to be thinking and doing it and saying it with you."

He gasped, a little sob escaping as he looked deeply into her eyes.

The corners of her mouth curling up, she ran her right hand up the side of his face before sweeping her fingers through his hair. "Is this going to be okay?"

He tightened his hold around her back as he lowered his face towards hers. "This is what you want? What you really want?"

"If you want me you can have me. Warts and all." She searched his face, making mental notes so she would be able to recall this moment for the rest of her life. "I don't want to ride the roller coaster alone, Charlie, and I want it to be you next to me."

Keeping her wrapped up in one arm, he lifted his free hand and traced her delicate cheek bone with a gentle finger. "I've always been terrified of them."

Lifting onto her toes, she let her lips tenderly brush his before she whispered, "Yeah, well, now you've got me to hold your hand."

* * *

 _So that was roughly 11,550 words without this post script. I hope this hasn't left too many questions unanswered, but just in case, there will be a little epilogue-y bonus fifth chapter to tie it up completely._

 _Please give Rosamunde and Atticus a small pass- I know I made them both far more assholey than they ever were on DA, but those were choices made because of the characters they represented from MUM._

 _And please look up MUM on Britbox if you have the chance. It really is so very good. So good, in fact, I cribbed a bit of Charles' speech towards the end, and almost all of Elsie's monologue marked by *'s, but it was done totally out of admiration. Reading it on the page doesn't do it justice, so if you can, please watch Lesley Manville give a master class in the last episode of series two. She and Peter Mullan will break your heart- in a good way._

 _Thank you for all the time spent reading this monster chapter, as well as the rest, and for your tremendous kindness and support for this little piece. It has been so lovely to spend some time with these lovies once again._

 _XO- Jen_


	5. The Line Between Love and Fascination

"Mum?"

The front room empty and dark, as were the sun room and kitchen, Gus called up the stairs, pausing for a moment as Rose made her way behind him to wrap her arms around his waist as she joined in the calling.

"Elsie?"

They waited, but upon receiving no response Gus frowned. "I don't think she's here, babe. Weird because her car's out front."

"Maybe she walked to school and then went to get a drink or dinner or something with friends after?"

Gus turned his head and bent down to rub his nose against hers. "It's too cold for walking in the morning. I'm going to call her cell."

"Let's wait a bit, babe. I'm sure she'll walk in any minute."

He nodded, "Alright. Ten minutes. If she isn't here in ten, I'll call."

"Sounds good. Now let's raid the kitchen. I'm starving!"

* * *

Charles had picked-up Elsie from home at an ungodly hour that morning to take her for Pain au chocolat and dark French roast at a small cafe in the center of town before dropping her off for school, and now they were in his mother's kitchen listening to jazz, sharing the wine and the plate of salami, cheeses, a sliced baguette, and a selection of olives he had spent nearly an hour choosing in order to whittle away at the hours spent waiting for the final school bell to ring.

"I talked to Richard this afternoon." She tossed off while plucking an olive off the platter.

"Oh, yes? And how is he?"

"Happy. Very happy. This Isobel is quite the opposite of Rosamunde, so he is floating on a cloud."

Looking down at the spread below him, he cautiously asked, "And that is all he is happy about?"

She smiled, amused by his passive way of asking if she had told her brother about what had transpired between them the night before.

"Mm…I think he might also be happy for his sister after she told him about the events of the previous evening."

He held his breath for fear a cry of joy might escape his lips, somehow the fact that someone besides the two of them was in the know made their being together feel more real.

Knowing his lack of response was from emotion, she gave his cuff a slight tug as she whispered, "This is nice."

He rested his elbows on the counter, chin propped in his open palms so that his face was even with hers. "You said that before."

"Oh, yes?"

"Mm. On Halloween, when we were sitting out front and you took my hand."

Lips slightly purple from the very good Margeaux Charles had opened for them, she grinned and nodded, "That's right. I did."

"You said it while you rubbed my fingers with your thumb and then Rose ran outside and squealed for five minutes and everything went rather downhill from there."

Sighing, she admitted, "I don't know exactly what I was going to say that night but I was going to address this, address us being more than just friends, and then, yes, Rose busted onto the scene, and I'm sorry she did, because things very much did go to shit after that," she paused for a moment before adding, "...but I am going to deal with Gus soon, I can promise you that."

He hated the fact that his own relationship with Gus was less than healthy, but he also feared for her relationship with him if she were to tear into the lad because of what had transpired in the back garden after the Halloween party, and that it might have a lasting effect on the relationship he hoped to have the him in the future, given how very much in love he was with the his mother. "Please don't be too harsh with him."

Leaning against the metal back of her stool, she crossed her arms before promising, "I'm not going to rip him a new asshole, Charles. Although, he certainly deserves it."

He mimicked her move, crossing his arms and leaning back slightly. "Such an ugly word from such a pretty mouth."

She chuckled at him. "Oh, dear, Mr. Carson, I'm afraid you'll have to get used to my rather forked tongue. Not sure I can keep up the guise of being a proper lady around you all the time."

The sentiment suggesting that they would be together all the time made him feel as though his heart might actually burst but he contained his glee, returning a cheeky, "Keep up? Proper lady?"

"Oh, shut up!" She quickly made her way around to his side of the counter, playfully poking him in the ribs. "I've always been on my best behavior with you, well, most of the time anyway."

Feeling brave, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body closer to his. "I don't want proper or best behavior. Just Elsie. Just funny, beautiful, clever, wonderful Elsie."

She would never be able to put it into words, but this- this being in his arms, it just felt _right_.

"I don't want to go home. I don't want to go to work. I just want to stay here in this kitchen drinking wine and listening to this wonderful music with you. Speaking of, who is this? I love it. His voice is rich and low like yours."

Charles cocked his head towards the front room from where the current song was just ending. "Johnny Hartman. My Dad loved him. Him, Erroll Gardner, and Chet Baker."

"I know Erroll Gardner. Piano player, right?"

He nodded.

"But Chet Baker?"

"Trumpet and singer. I'll put him on next."

"Can we take our wine in the front room?"

He laughed briefly until he realized she was serious which inspired an apologetic look. "Of course. It's my house, Elsie."

She wrinkled her nose, waiting as he refilled both their glasses before taking his hand and leading him into the nearly dark room, the last traces of the late afternoon sun the only light among the cognac-colored paneling of the room. "I know it's your house, but I didn't know if you wanted to risk a drop or two spilling in here before people start looking at it."

Her back to him, she missed the half-grin, half-worried look that crossed his features in reaction to her remark.

"I think we'll be alright. Mr. Hartman only sings ballads on the album. Not much fear of sloshing if we're slow dancing. I mean, if you'd like to dance?"

Setting her glass down near the stereo, she turned around and moved to the spot where they had danced the night before, her hands on her hips, head tilted and her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked at him. "Hmmm…dance to this incredibly romantic music with _you_?"

He took a step closer to her, his glass held behind his back as he lowered her gaze. "I know it's asking a lot."

A playful, but sultry look on her face, the sway of her hips matched her countenance as she closed the gap between them. "I suppose I could be persuaded…" Reaching him, she took his glass and placed it with her own before returning, her hand landing on his forearm just as the next song began. "This is lovely."

One hand moving to her waist and the other taking her right hand, he pulled her to him, a gentle smile on his face as he began to lead their slow circuit around the floor. "This is a good one. Feel like it might have been written just for me."

Puzzled, she let her cheek rest against his chest as she listened to the words.

 _The night is like lovely tune_

 _Beware my foolish heart_

 _How light the ever-constant moon_

 _Take care my foolish heart_

 _There's a line between love and fascination_

 _That's hard to see on an evening such as this_

 _But they both give the very same sensation_

 _When you're lost in the magic of a kiss_

 _Her lips are much too close to mine_

 _Beware my foolish heart_

 _Yet should our eager lips combine_

 _Then let the fire start_

 _For this time_

 _It isn't fascination_

 _Or a dream that will fade and fall apart_

 _It's love, this time, it's love_

 _My foolish heart_

Chin resting near his heart, she waited until he was looking at her to ask, "It's beautiful, but why a song written for just for you?"

"Well, like he says, for someone who has dreamed the same dream for years only to have it fade and fall apart when waking." He thought for a moment before adding, "And I have asked myself many times if what I felt for you was "love or fascination," but I've always truly known it was far more than fascination. My foolish heart indeed- unwilling to settle for anyone else even though I had convinced myself this was never to be."

She wasn't sure how to respond, her position being one in which few people ever found themselves: falling in love with someone you've known for nearly forty years and coping with the realization that the someone has been in love with you all that time.

"Charlie, do you ever wish you'd gone another way?"

"What do you mean?"

She gently stroked his back as she explained, "Settled. Married. Had Children. There was one- when we were in our late twenties. Anna? Alma?"

"Alice."

She gently kneaded his back in response to the tension she now felt beneath her hand. "You and Alice had a good thing going there for a while, didn't you?"

He looked over her head for a few moments before responding. "I did care for her."

"I remember she was very pretty."

He nodded. "She was. And sweet, but she left me for another man. I suppose I wasn't as exciting as him, or clever, perhaps."

"I doubt that. She was just a foolish girl."

"Or maybe I didn't try very hard."

"What do you mean?"

Stopping their dancing which had slowly morphed into a simple sway in place, he let go of her hand to cup her cheek. "Maybe I didn't try hard enough to win her because I knew she could never compete with what my heart knew it really wanted."

"Charlie-"

"Shhh…" he kissed her forehead, holding her to him. "No regrets, Elsie. No other way. No other choice. I may not have had a family of my own, but you and Joe let me share in so many of your joys. And now we have this, and as long as nobody pinches me and tells me it's not real...and it was so worth the wait, but, honestly, if you had only wanted to be my friend for the rest of our lives, it would have been enough just to be included in yours."

She clung to him, incredibly grateful that such a kind and loving man could care for her as he did.

"So what about the other part of the song? You know it. Sing along."

Shaking his head, he pulled her close, bending his head down so that his mouth was level with her ear as he softly sang:

 _Her lips are much too close to mine_

 _Beware my foolish heart_

 _But should out eager lips combine_

 _Then let the fire start_

 _For this time_

 _It isn't fascination_

 _Or a dream that should fade and fall apart_

 _It's love this time…_

A hand on his chest, she pushed back lightly so that she could look up at him as she took his face in her hands to give him a tender kiss which soon grew in intensity as she gave way to want and he received that which his heart had so long desired.

They finished the album in one another's arms, separating only when the click of the arm lifting from the turntable broke them from their reverie.

"Shall I put on Chet and pour more wine?" He asked, picking up their glasses from where they had left them near the player.

"No thank you to the wine, although it's very good. Some of us don't have the luxury of being retired, Charlie. It's a school night for Elsie."

"Then I'll save it but it will last a day or two, so you'll have to come back over very soon."

Holding his gaze for a moment, she nodded. "It would be a shame to waste."

She hated to bring their lovely evening to an end, but she did have some tasks to take care of at home and therefore would need him to drive her home soon. Digging in her purse for her cell to check the precise time, her stomach churned as she found three text messages from Gus and two voice mails, which she assumed were also from Gus, awaiting her.

17:27 _Mum- we're here. Where RU? Call plz -Gus X_

 _18:02 Mum. Call. Plz. This is weird. -G_

 _18:35 MUM! SERIOUSLY! CALL ME!_

While the texts made her feel slightly guilty at first, the voice mails accomplished nothing other than infuriating her.

17:50 "Mum, it's me. Look, it's starting to get dark out and we're here and so's your car. Where are you? Rose and I are starving. Call me please."

18:43 "Mum, where the hell are you? This is ridiculous. I called Uncle Richard and he said you were out with a friend which is great and everything, but you should have called so we would have known you weren't going to be here for dinner. Oh, and thanks for having no food, by the way. So, I guess call me whenever you can be arsed. Rose and I are going to the flat. I just hope you think about how mad you would be at me if I didn't call when I wasn't where I was supposed to be. *sigh* Okay. Call. Me."

Her finger hovered over the telephone icon, but she gave her head a little shake before moving to the cloud bubble which pulled up his string of texts.

 _19:25 Sorry u worried. I'm fine. Will call you tomorrow. X Mum_

She read back over the text and then deleted the "X" before hitting send.

"Everything alright?" A tray with their food and two glasses of water was in his hands as he made his way into the front room from the kitchen.

"Yes, except for the fact that my normally sweet son has turned into a giant dick as of late."

"What happened?"

"Mm. I didn't tell him or Rose where I would be tonight and since I wasn't chained to the stove, you know my rightful place, when they showed up unannounced, I have three texts and two less than loving voicemails."

"I'm sorry. Do you need to a call them?"

She shook her head. "Sent a text, and besides, I'm a grown woman and they have their own place. About time Gus figured that out."

The same twist in his stomach returned as he imagined a confrontation between the two people for whom he cared more than anyone else in the world. "This is going to be hard for him."

Waiting by the sofa as he began the other album, she nodded, but dismissed his concern. "I'm sure it will be at first, but Joe and I raised him to be a caring and loving individual. I hope he'll see how happy I am and how happy you are and accept that this is a good thing." She waited until he was next to her to respond, taking his hand as she whispered, "Because this is a good thing. I believe that in my heart."

"Not afraid we're moving too fast?" He asked, another fear that had been niggling at him being given voice.

"How can it be too fast when we've known each other since 1979."

He leaned back against the sofa, taking her with him to rest against his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around hers. "Too fast since March, I mean."

She was quiet for a moment, fearing the question she wanted to ask would lead to one or both in tears. "What do you think Joe would say, you know, given the circumstances?"

He instantly went to the last evening he'd spent alone with Joe when his friend has confided his support of the situation in which his wife and dear friend now found themselves. "I know what he'd say."

She bit her bottom lip as she waited for him to continue, her heart hammering in her chest out of fear he would say he thought Joe would be displeased.

"That last night, when you and Gus went home to change and nap, he told me then. He brought it up, I mean, I had no idea he was aware of how I felt about you."

Her head turned sharply as she looked up him. "He knew?"

Charles nodded before clearing his throat and explaining, "He told me he appreciated how good I had been about you, about keeping what I felt inside, being patient and respectful. He knew it was because I loved him so much."

The tears she had prophesized were now falling onto both of their cheeks as he continued.

"He wanted us to both be happy after he was gone and he said if I could be the one to make you happy that he wanted that."

Pressed against him as she was, she let her head fall so that her cheek was on his chest. "So, we have his blessing?"

"We do." He let his hand trace the length of her spine, his senses overwhelmed by the scent and feel of her body's warmth and weight against him as the room fell into complete darkness, the last vestiges of dusk completely consumed by the night.

"Charlie?"

"Yes?"

"What if I'm not what you think I am? What if I can't live up to this idea you've created in your mind after all these years?"

His smile went unseen as he recalled what he had witnessed while waiting to pick her up from school that afternoon. "I watched you today while you were waiting with that little one…"

"Noah."

"Mmm…waiting with Noah while you watched for his mum to pick him up. She was late, I think, and it upset him."

She nodded. "He doesn't handle deviating from his schedule very well, but his mum has twin babies at home and has to also pick up his older sister at another school, so she sometimes runs a bit late. It's why I always wait with him."

"You dried his tears and patted his back and then I saw you lean down and whisper something in his ear."

She chuckled softly. "I was singing to him. He likes this old song from _Free to Be You and Me_." She sang a few lines:

 _It's alright to cry_

 _Crying takes the sad out of it_

 _Raindrops from your eyes_

 _It might make you feel better_

She hesitated for a moment before continuing, the relevance of the lyrics to come resonating.

 _It's alright to feel things for the feelings they can change_

 _Feelings are such real things_

 _But they change and change and change_

"He's such a sweet boy. Just thinking about him makes me smile."

"I know what you mean." He tightened his arm around her as he leaned over and kissed the top of her head. A few moments of contented silence passed before he whispered, "There's nothing for you to live up to, Elsie. You are everything to me. Everything."

* * *

"What time do you call this?"

Elsie jumped, her hand going to her heart as she closed the front door before flipping on the light to find Gus sitting in the middle of the staircase.

"There is probably a name for this. Killing one's mother by scaring her into a heart attack."

"Don't change the subject. Where have you been?"

Dropping her purse and school tote onto the side table, she refused to return his gaze as he watched her pass by the bannister on her way to the kitchen.

"Mum, why are you being like this?"

Turning on the tap, she began to rinse the dishes he and Rose had left in the sink.

"Mum! Seriously!"

Opening the dishwasher, she was pulling out the top rack when she calmly asked, "Where's Rose?"

"The flat. She has to be at work early. Are you going to answer my question?"

A few pieces of cutlery and their plates added to the bottom, she closed the door and rinsed her hands before turning to face him. "The last time I checked, I was a fifty-eight-year-old adult woman so I don't have to tell you where I am or with whom I spend my time. You're an adult, Gus, and the same applies, especially given the fact that we don't live under the same roof anymore. You know you are always welcome here and if there is food in the fridge, you and Rose are welcome to it, but there is no guarantee that I will be here to cook for you and clean up after you as you have apparently come to expect."

He stared at her in disbelief, these the bluntest words she had ever spoken to him.

"I am always going to be your mum, Gus. Nothing can or will ever change that and I do love you, but I don't always like you."

"Mum!?"

"What you said to Charles on Halloween, you had absolutely no right. You hurt him and because you hurt him, you hurt me. If you thought you were somehow defending your dad or protecting me by being cruel to him, you were quite wrong. Charles is a good man. The best man I have ever known besides your dad and he would move heaven and earth for either of us which is why I don't know why the hell you thought it alright to speak to him like that."

"So he tattled-"

She lifted her hand, silencing him. "I'm not finished. He does love me, Charles does, and your dad knew it and he told him if we could make each other happy then that was what he would want. Well, he does, Gus. He makes me very happy. Happier than I thought I would ever be again and it's what I want. He's what I want."

"Mum!"

Her hand raised again, she took the five steps that had separated them. "I know you probably think I am being harsh and that telling you straight like this is unkind , and maybe I am, maybe it is, but after the way you talked about and to Charlie over the last seven months, you don't deserve kid gloves."

Backing up a few steps, his face was red and throat tight as he spat out, "This isn't you, Mum. You're still…it's not right! How could you do this to Dad? How could do this to me? You're mad, you know that? Fucking mad! This is…you should be ashamed!"

Feeling her temper flare, she took a deep breath before saying, "We're both tired and have work tomorrow. Get your coat and I'll take you home. It's late."

He blocked the doorway, hands braced against the frame as he looked down at her. "No. Not until you see sense."

She still managed to keep her temper at bay as she looked him straight in the eye. "What I see makes perfect sense, Gus. I see two people who want to love and care for one another and I see a young man who needs time to digest the idea of those two being together so he can find it in himself to be happy for them."

"Did you- were you at his house tonight?"

She hated the fact that she was blushing knowing full well she had done nothing about which there was to be embarrassed. "He picked me up from school and we went to his mum's house for dinner and to listen to music and then he drove me home. I have no need to lie to you, Gus, because I have nothing to hide."

"I think I'm going to be sick."

There was vitriol in his voice which brought her to the end of her tether. "Let me by."

"You're not driving me home!" he yelled after letting her slide past.

She didn't turn to look at him as she answered, "You're right. I'm not. I'm calling you an Uber. My treat. Be sure you turn off the lights and that the door latches behind you when you leave."

Her cell phone retrieved from her purse, her steps up the staircase were fast and the slam of her bedroom door loud as she left him standing in the kitchen, mouth agape.

* * *

The phone in the teacher's lounge rang once before one of the first-year teachers, a kind woman named Phyllis Baxter, picked it up.

"Mrs. Burns? It's for you."

Elsie was momentarily confused. Anyone she knew would call her cell phone, but whomever was on the other end of the line had to be familiar with her enough to know that this was her lunch break.

Accepting the receiver, she gave Phyllis a kind smile. "Thank you." Turning away from the rest of the room, her voice was light as she spoke into the mouthpiece. "This is Mrs. Burns."

"Elsie, it's Rose. Please don't hang up."

Her brow furrowed, she tried to answer in a neutral way. "Hello, love. Why didn't you call my cell?"

"I didn't know if you'd answer it when you saw it was me."

"Of course, I would." Knowing there were attentive ears in the room who clamored for any sort of gossip, she offered, "Tell you what, I'm going to get my things and take a walk and we can talk. Give me just a couple of minutes to get my coat on and step outside."

"Okay." There was a hint of worry in Rose's voice which Elsie tried to assuage.

"Promise. Two minutes, three tops, and I'll call you right back."

* * *

It was raining lightly as Elsie stepped out onto a covered walkway and she drew her scarf more tightly around her neck before pulling up Rose's number.

"Hello?"

"I'm alone now, love. So, why did you think I wouldn't answer the phone?"

Rose inhaled deeply before answering. "Because you and Gus are, you know, like not talking."

"I'm talking to Gus, Rose."

"But he said you kicked him out last night."

Elsie's chest tightened at the accusation. "I told him to go home to the flat to you because it was late and he was upset and we both had to get up and go to work today. I didn't kick him out."

"He was going to stay the night with you and then I was going to pick him up this morning."

"Well, he didn't tell me that, and honestly, after what was said and how disrespectful he was being, I thought he needed the space and time to think about things before he said anything more I knew he would later come to regret."

Several moments passed during which there was no sound from the other end of the line.

"Rose, love, are you there?"

The young woman's voice was high and light, as though she was trying not to cry. "Yes." A little more time passed before she finally gathered the gumption to ask, "You are _with_ Charlie? Like he's your boyfriend?"

The word caught Elsie off-guard. She and Charlie had both referred to themselves as "together" but formal titles hadn't been mentioned over the previous forty-eight hours.

"I suppose so, I mean, we're seeing each other. But I want you to know this isn't some crazy, spur of the moment thing, Rose. I don't know if that is what Gus thinks, but it isn't. Over the last few months, my feelings about Charlie have changed and on Sunday night I let him know they had. He's a dear man, Rose, and I feel very lucky that he also cares for me in the same way."

"He is very nice. He's always so nice to me."

Elsie's shoulders released as she took a breath of relief in response to Rose's words.

"He is a very nice man. And you know he loves Gus like an uncle, always has. That's why it hurt him when he was so unkind to him at Halloween."

It was clear the conversation in the back garden hadn't been shared with Rose. "What do you mean?"

"Gus told Charlie that I needed to find new friends and accused him of stealing his best friend's wife."

"He said that? He said that to Charlie's face? That's…like why would he even say that?"

Elsie glanced down at her watch, dismayed to find she only had a few minutes left before she had to return to the classroom. "I think it's because Gus is still grieving for his Dad and it's hard for him to imagine me being with someone other than Joe, and maybe even more so to imagine me being with Charlie because he only thinks of him as being his dad's best friend, but it's like I told him when he was worrying about me being on my own if you two were to move into your flat; life has to go on. We lost Joe and it is awful and we will always grieve for him but we can still cherish our memories of him while moving on and living our lives, which is what I'm doing and what Charlie is doing. We both love Joe and I'm sure we will talk about him all the time, but we have to keep moving on and if being together makes us happy, I know that is what Joe wanted for us." Elsie glanced back down at her watch. "I'm sorry love, but I have to go."

"You should be happy, Elsie, and Gus should want that for you no matter who it is that makes you happy. I'll try to get him to come around."

"Thank you, Rose. Truly, thank you."

"Oh, wait! Before you go, would you mind sending me Charlie's number? I want to let him know I'm sorry that Gus is being such a craphead."

Grinning at Rose's unusual gift for wordsmithing, Elsie quickly agreed and managed to send the number just as the bell sounded.

* * *

Having spent a very productive morning in the solicitor's office, Charles decided to sustain his happy mood by putting on a live recording of Errol Gardner while he set to making himself a sandwich for lunch. Sandwich and a handful of crisps on his plate, he was turning to fetch a bottle of water from the refrigerator when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

"Hold on, hold on."

Licking a bit of mustard from his finger, he retrieved the cell which registered the caller as "Unknown."

"Hello?"

"Hi, Charlie? It's Rose. Rose Gus's girlfriend?"

The young woman's distinctive voice made him smile, as if he wouldn't have recognized her.

"Of course! Hello, love. How are you?"

"I'm alright, thanks. I hope it's okay that I'm calling you at lunchtime."

Removing from a stool one of the moving boxes he had dropped by the house that morning before heading to the solicitors, he perched at the counter as he answered: "Of course. Anytime. How can I help?"

"Well…I was calling to see if you would help me with Gus and Elsie."

His stomach churned. He hadn't heard from Elsie outside of a "Good morning" text since he'd dropped her at home the night before and was instantly worried about what had transpired after he had. "I'm afraid you'll have to get me up to speed."

"I'm off work now. Are you busy? And I have the car until I have to pick up Gus later this evening, so we could like meet for coffee or lunch or something. I'd like to talk to you in person if that's okay. I have a, well, I guess it's like a plan, but I'd need you to help me, I mean if you think it's a good plan."

His curiosity was more than piqued and glancing over at the sandwich on the counter he asked, "I am all yours, whatever I can do. Would you like to come to my mum's? It's on your side of town. I was about to make a sandwich and would be happy to make you one as well."

"Yes, please! That is so sweet. I am totally starving! What's your address."

* * *

"Excuse me, miss, but I was wondering if you might be free for the next few hours?"

Keeping a distance of a few meters so not to alarm the small ginger-headed boy holding Elsie's hand, Charles was relieved to be met with her wide smile as she and the child turned around to look at him.

"Well, hello! This is a lovely surprise."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!" The little boy chuckled as he took in the enormous man standing before him. "You a giant!"

"Ah, yes, well." Charles moved to a lower center of gravity, bending and squatting so that he and Noah were on a more even level. "There. That's better." Waving he offered, "Hello, Noah. My name is Charlie."

"Oooh…" Noah let go of Elsie's hand and ran into a surprised Charles' arms, reaching up to run his little fingers over his instant friend's bushy eyebrows, giggling gleefully as he reported, "Tickly!"

Glancing over for approval, Charles found Elsie wiping away tears, a bright smile on her face as she watched the generally shy and socially reluctant child clearly recognize the kind heart that beat within this gentle giant; her gentle giant.

"No-eee! Did you make a new friend, darling?"

Bundled up twins in a double stroller, Noah's mother was smiling brightly as she stopped next to Elsie, the two exchanging looks of happy disbelief as they watched the little boy nod as he wrapped a hand around one of Charles' coat lapels.

"Edith, this is my friend Charles Carson."

"Mummy!" Noah reached up and ran his fingers over Charles' eyebrows once more. "Tickly, tickly!"

"Oh, goodness! How lovely." She gave Charles an apologetic smile. "Why don't you come here, sweetie. Mr. Carson might not appreciate you being so…familiar."

"Here we go, lad." Charles took the little one by the hand and led him over to where the women waited. "I didn't mind a bit. "Tickly" is probably the nicest way these crazy brows of mine have ever been described. It's very nice to meet you."

"And you. Come on, sweetheart. I'm afraid we have to run. We still have to get Marigold at her school."

His hand transferred from Charles to his mum, Noah looked up with a hopeful smile. "You see me 'gain?"

Touched by the child's question, Charles nodded eagerly. "Of course, of course."

"If we're lucky, Noah, Mr. Carson is going to be seeing us after school on a fairly regular basis." Elsie promised the little one with a wink as she reached over and gave Charles' hand a squeeze.

"Oh, that's…oh, Elsie, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you."

A genuine smile on the younger woman's face, Elsie felt a little thrill climb up her spine as she realized she had just made her relationship with Charles public. "Thank you."

Waves exchanged, as well as bright smiles, Elsie and Charles waited until the little family had crossed the street before turning and looking at one another.

She reached out so that both her hands were wrapped around his one. "I don't think you understand what just happened."

"He liked me." There was a bit of a headshake, as though he still couldn't believe it.

"It was more than that, Charlie. I mean, he just doesn't do that. It took him two days before he would even hold my hand at the beginning of the school year. That was…that was amazing."

"Well, that's made me feel quite special. He's very sweet."

Still holding his hand, she led him up the path towards the school, exchanging smiles with various fellow teachers who were happily surprised to see the widow accompanied by the tall, dark, and handsome man.

Making their way into her now empty classroom, she quickly gathered her things as he wandered around looking at the bright and cheerfully decorated room. "Now I can picture where are during the day." He made his way to a bulletin board on which candid photos of her eight students were displayed; Noah in the middle, a joyful smile on the little one's face as he held a small black and white kitten under one arm and waved with the other. Looking up he read the header of the board: _HAPPINESS._

"I asked them to each bring in a photo of them either doing something which made them happy or being with someone who made them happy. Noah's kitten is named "Tuxedo," but he calls him "Tux" which I am embarrassed to say makes me giggle because until we mastered the "T" sound, it sounded like he was saying either "Fucks" or "Sucks."

Charles couldn't help but laugh as he thought of the little one who had been in his arms five minutes before. "Oh, poor little chap."

Watching him study each of the photos, she had a thought and quickly dug out her phone before slipping beside him, her arm going around his waist as she lifted the phone so that it was focused on them.

"What are you doing?"

She sighed with amusement as she announced, "It's a selfie!"

"Oh, dear."

"Just move your head down next to mine and smile, you old curmudgeon."

Doing as he was bid, he waited until the shutter sound declared the photo taken before he turned to look at her. "And why did we just selfie?"

She laughed as she moved back to her desk and turned the power on her small printer before retrieving a glossy piece of paper from a package. "I'll show you, and I think you may be the first person ever to use that word as a verb."

He laughed, glancing around for a place to sit, but finding all the chairs were quite small in scale.

"Here, come here, my Charlie."

He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to her using endearments towards him, but the prospect of trying brought him infinite joy.

Standing, she pushed her desk chair back a bit, grateful there were no arms as she moved to his lap once he was settled. "I'm not too heavy?"

"Never," he promised as he wrapped an arm around her waist and let his cheek rest against her back. "Is this alright? I mean if someone walked in right now…"

She huffed. "I can guarantee you the news of poor Mrs. Burns having found herself a man is spreading like wildfire through this building as we speak."

"And that's alright?" He asked, leaning to the side to take in her profile as she reached over to fetch something off the printer.

"More than. I'm very proud to be on your arm, Charlie."

He gave her side an affectionate squeeze as he waited for her to finish her task.

"That'll do." Opening her top drawer, she fetched out a bit of sticky gum before moving off his lap and making her way back to the bulletin board. "Well, come on."

She waited until he was at her side to attach a copy of the selfie in the center of the board just below the "I" and "N" of _HAPPINESS._ "A photo with someone who makes me happy."

Looking down at her smiling face, he gave a quick glance over his shoulder before whispering, "I'd very much like to kiss you, but I'm not sure I'm allowed to in here."

Giving him a quick wink, her hands went to his shoulders as she whispered back, "I don't think we'll set off an alarm or anything."

His face moving closer to hers, he was startled when she placed her fingers on his lips. "Just for future reference, you don't have to ask."

Both smiling, they sunk into a sweet kiss that lasted long enough for three different teachers to catch them in the act as they passed by the glass pane in the door of the classroom.

* * *

They climbed into her mini, no small task for the large man which amused his companion to no end.

"Looks like we'll be taking my car most of the time. That or I'm going to have to get my legs amputated below the knee."

She giggled as she watched him struggle to get the seat belt in place. "Joe said the same thing when I first got it. He point-blank refused to ride in it, at least you're a good sport."

"Well, I think this might be my first and last ride in your little torture chamber on wheels. I can't feel my feet."

Pulling out of the carpark, she quickly made her way to where his Volvo was parked down the street. "So, you've never told me why you are here. Did you want to be naughty children and have ice cream for dinner? We could see if Sam is working at our little café on the high street."

"Ah," Although he was struggling to get his legs outside of the car, he couldn't help but smile as she referred to the restaurant as _our café_. "Raincheck on the ice cream if you don't mind. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Alright. So, what?"

"Well, I need your opinion on something at my mum's place and I thought we could order a take-away or have something delivered for dinner. Whatever you'd like."

"Mmm…I suppose I could be talked into a Chinese or a curry."

"Very good."

He was moving to fully extricate himself from the car when he felt her grab his hand.

"Just a moment, please?"

He turned his head just in time to meet hers as she leaned in for a lingering kiss.

"That was very nice."

She cupped his cheek and gave him another quick peck before cheekily noting, "I hope it was alright I didn't ask first."

* * *

Pulling her car behind his in the drive, her stomach did a little flip to see the "For Sale" sign had been removed from where it had resided for the previous week. Sighing, she determined he wanted her opinion on what furniture and other household goods he should take or store and what he should sell in the estate sale he had already mentioned planning given that he would clearly have to vacate the property soon.

Unlocking the front door, he was holding his breath waiting for her to mention the sign, but it wasn't until they were in the kitchen that she asked about the dozen or so cardboard boxes that littered both it and the front room.

"I thought we might be collecting the things you wanted to keep and deciding what to sell now that I see the sign is gone from the front garden."

"Well, that's sort of it. Have a seat. I'm going to get us a drink and then I'll tell you of my plans."

Perching on the familiar stool she had occupied the previous two evenings, she was surprised to see him fetch a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator. "That's a good bottle, Charlie. You must be making a pretty penny on the sale."

Fetching two glasses from a cabinet, he put off answering her until after he had peeled the foil off and popped the cork.

"That was well-done."

He smiled as he poured their glasses, remaining mum as he worked up the courage to say what he had been practicing in his mind all afternoon.

"So, will you be taking me on some fantastic trip with your house earnings or are you going to be cliché and buy a sports car or something?"

Handing her a glass, he swallowed hard before forcing himself to speak. "No trip and no sports car, well at least no trip for now. I'd love to take you on a trip sometime, of course, but I think we need to settle some things first."

His struggle was obvious, so she sat up straighter, her own anxiety building as her brain began to buzz like an active pinball machine as she tried to figure out where he was going.

"This is strange, you and me. We've only been really together for three days, but I've known you the majority of my life, certainly all of my adult life, so that's why this doesn't feel that crazy of an idea to me but if it does to you, I absolutely understand."

She felt herself holding her breath, her mind still spinning as she asked, "What idea? What is it, Charlie? I'm on pins and needles."

"I visited the solicitor this morning."

"Because of the house sale," she said as though finishing his thought, but was met with the shake of his head.

"To get some things in order. I had to sign some papers and was able to take care of tying up most of mother's things, except for this one."

She watched as he fetched a manila folder from the other side of the kitchen.

"I signed everything I needed to, but we'll have to find a time that you can go with me to the solicitor's office to sign this one in front of a notary."

The paper he placed on the counter in front of her was a deed to the house and property which they currently occupied.

"I put it in both our names."

Her eyes traced the document, stopping each time she reached either _Charles Carson_ or _Elsie Burns_.

"This house? The deed for this…you…you want to put my name on the deed for this house?"

He pointed to the signature line at the bottom which had her name printed beneath it. "It's already there. You just need to sign. I mean, if you will. If you want to. But like I said, I know it's only been three days…"

She gazed up at him for a moment before whispering, "Three days and thirty-odd years." A tear fell down her cheek as she added, "Thirty-odd birthdays, thirty-odd Christmases, thirty-odd New Years, and the thousands of days in-between."

He nodded, tears filling his own eyes. "I'm not asking you to marry me, Elsie, well, not yet, although I can promise you I'm not marrying anyone else, but I am asking you to make a life with me. Joe always told me how much you loved this house and I am in the position to give it to you if you want it, want me."

"I do. I want you, Charlie. House or no house."

His tears now flowing freely, he leaned against the counter so he could reach across and take her face in his hands. "I've been waiting to say this to you for so long. I love you. I love you so much."

* * *

Each having had two glasses of champagne, they recorked the bottle before moving to the front room and after Charles restarted the Erroll Gardner album from earlier, he joined her on the sofa for a cuddle.

"So, explain the boxes, please."

"Yes, well, in the hopes that you would say yes, I brought them so we could begin to box-up whatever of my mum's you didn't want to keep to make room for the things from my house and yours that we will want to use."

Having been so wrapped up in the champagne and the new-ness of the idea of moving in with him, she was only now considering that she would be leaving behind the home she had shared with Joe and the one she had only recently promised Gus he would always be able to come back to.

"I hadn't given thought to my house until now."

He shifted slightly so he could see her face as he prepared to present the second part of his plan. "I did think about that. I'll be selling my house which should bring a tidy sum seeing how its paid for and we'll still have your income for a few years unless you are ready to retire."

She shook her head. "No, not for a bit. I love my little ones too much."

He smiled warmly, letting his fingertips gently trace the side of her face. "I thought so, which means we will have that and my pension and the course I teach every other semester at the university will be extra income as well, I guess what I am trying to get at is we won't really need the proceeds of selling your house to live comfortably and you would have left it to Gus eventually…"

"So, give it to him and Rose? Just give them the house?"

"They'd still be responsible for the council tax and their utilities and the like, but I think they'll get married before long and it would be lovely for them to be able to start out without struggling like you and Joe had to, wouldn't it?"

She nodded. "This was part of your plan?"

"Yes, well, the way I figure it, we have this big place for holidays and barbecues and family dinners, while you can still visit that house and remember all the holidays and barbecues and family dinners you had there with Joe and Gus, and he and Rose can make new memories there with their children."

She didn't speak but slipped from the stool and made her way around the counter to pull him into a tight hug.

"I take it you like the plan?"

She looked up and nodded, closing her eyes as he gently wiped away a smattering of tears from her cheeks.

"Very good. I'm glad that's settled. Now, my dear Elsie, m what shall we have? Chinese or a curry?"

Lifting onto her tiptoes, she gave him a sweet kiss before whispering, "The Grinning Buddha, please, but hold the grin."

* * *

The doorbell sounding, Elsie moved to answer it, but Charles who had been reading a newly received text stopped her with a gentle hand on her elbow. "I'll go. Why don't you go pull out plates and cutlery and I'll meet you in the kitchen?"

Making sure she had made it all the way into the kitchen, he moved swiftly to the door where he found a smiling delivery driver, a smiling Rose, and a scowling Gus.

Passing across a generous tip to the driver, he thanked the young man as he took the two large bags on offer before stepping back to allow Rose and Gus to enter.

"Thank you for coming."

"Rose didn't give me any choice."

Choosing to ignore the young man's attitude, Charles led them to the main seating area where Gus slumped into the couch as Rose sat opposite him, her arms also crossed as she shot him pointed looks. Wishing there was less tension, he was grateful that they were at least quiet and out of the kitchen's sightline as he hurried into the kitchen where a smiling Elsie confirmed the fact that she hadn't heard the young couple enter.

"Good Lord! This is a lot of food," she noted as they each began pulling cartons and containers from the large paper sacks. "Wait, I think they either doubled our order or gave us ours and someone else's, Charlie."

"Um, no. This is right. This is what I ordered."

She pulled back the lid of a tinfoil container, confusion coloring her face as she asked, "You ordered a large chicken fried rice?"

Refraining from looking at her, he nodded. "It's for Rose."

"Rose? What do you-" She looked up to find the woman in question standing in the doorway.

"Hi, Elsie."

Turning her head, she found worried looks on both of their faces as she glanced back and forth between them before announcing, "You little plotters! You planned this."

Charles raised his hands in innocence. "It was mostly Rose's idea. I was just responsible for supplying the venue, the food, and you."

"Yes, obviously you take no responsibility," she said good-naturedly, although there was also a bit of sarcasm in her tone.

"Are you mad?" Rose asked with a worried look.

"No, I'm not mad."

"Gus is."

Elsie nodded. "That isn't surprising. He's in there I take it?"

"In the loo."

"Finished with the loo, actually, and now I'd like to go home."

Rose spun around to find him standing a few feet behind her, arms folded and his scowl still securely in place. "Not until we've eaten."

"Fine. You eat. I'll wait in the car."

"You bloody well will not. Now stop being such a giant asshat and get in here."

Charles and Elsie exchanged surprised looks and tried not to grin in reaction to this fierce side of Rose neither of them had ever seen before.

"Come on, Rose..."

"I meant what I said, Gus. Cut. Off."

Filling plates, Charlie leaned down and whispered into Elsie's ear, "So that's what he meant when he said she left him no choice."

"No sex. Wow. She plays hardball, or blue balls in this case." She gave him a poke in the ribs as they both tried to hide their smiles as Gus begrudgingly came into the room, his arms still folded as he dropped into one of the dining room chairs.

Giving Gus a firm shove with her elbow, Rose smiled up at their host as he brought them each a plate. "This is very nice of you, Charlie. Thank you for buying us dinner."

Trying his best not to let his gaze linger very long on the pouting man sitting at the far end of his mother's table, he gave Rose a warm smile. "My pleasure. What would you both like to drink? I have beer, coke, bottled water, white wine, red wine..."

"Water for me, please," Rose said before looking over at a stubborn Gus. "And Gus will have water, too, because he doesn't deserve beer or wine because he is acting like a spoiled child."

"Rose!"

"Well, you are."

Meeting Elsie at the refrigerator where she was pulling out the bottles, he whispered, "I am liking her more and more with every minute that passes."

Cocking her head up towards him, she winked. "Me, too."

* * *

The meal began in relative silence as Charlie and Rose dug into their meals while Elsie mostly watched Gus petulantly move the food around on his plate.

Feeling her eyes on him, he suddenly dropped his chopsticks and looked over at her. "Fine. Look, Mum, can we get this over with?"

Charles and Rose looked up from their plates, glancing between the mother and son as they waited for Elsie to respond.

"Well, whether you believe me or not, I didn't plan this, but I figure getting you and me at the same table was the aim of these two lovely people who care about us, so fine. I'll be the civilized adult and start."

"Whatever." He threw up his hands as he shifted his body away from her and stared at the far wall.

Rolling her eyes at her boyfriend, Rose leaned her head in Elsie's direction. "Do you mind if I say something first, Elsie? I've been practicing it all day."

The young woman's earnestness was endearing which inspired a warm smile from Elsie and a nod. "Of course."

"Well, I don't want to make this about me, because it isn't, but I do want to say that while I know that these last like eight months have been really hard for all three of you, they have been the best eight months of my life because I have been with you, Gus, and have gotten to be around you and Charlie a lot, too, Elsie, and you are all really very kind to me and you make me feel like you care about me and that you care about what I have to say even sometimes when I know you probably don't, and you never call me dumb or stupid or brainless like my mum does and, well, that's just been really nice to not have to hear all the time, so it is making me so sad that you aren't getting along because I love you all and I know how much you all love each other and while I know it is really hard for you to see your mum happy with someone that isn't your dad, Gus, I know you are a really good and really loving person who is just letting how sad you feel get in the way of being happy for your mum to be happy, and Charlie, too, and I know you care about Charlie being happy because the day of your dad's funeral you totally told me that Charlie is like the greatest guy because he has always been there for your family and it has always been like he was a part of your family. Well, he still is, so you have to move on, babe. You do. You have to let us all love one another and be happy together because we're your family. Charlie and Elsie and me."

There were tears on Gus' cheeks as he turned to look at Rose. "It's not that easy, Rose. I know you think it is because my mum isn't like your mum, but you didn't have my dad. You don't know what it is like to see someone try to take your dad's place!"

Charles cleared his throat, his voice soft as he offered, "I would never do that, Gus. I would never even try. Your dad was an amazing father and husband and I would never try to take his place because I know I could never be what he was to you, but what I can be is your friend and continue to love you as I always have."

"But you want to _be_ with Mum and sleep in my dad's bed and she's still his wife. She'll always be his wife!"

Elsie stretched her arm across the table, her fingers resting atop his hand. "Your dad will always be my husband, Gus, of course, he will, and I wouldn't trade a single second I got to share with him, but sweetheart, I can't laugh with dad anymore and I can't wrap my arms around him as much as I'd like to, and I can't talk with him about the wonderful times we had because he's gone, but Charlie isn't and I know it seems like this is a whirlwind and we're coming at you hard and fast with this new situation, but it's been building since this summer and all this time I have been lying to myself, trying to convince myself that it was just me missing your dad, these feelings I was having, but it is so much more than that. Charlie is a lovely man who wants nothing more than the chance to love and be loved and your dad knew that which is why he gave Charlie his blessing. He told him that if he could make me happy, then that is what he wanted him to do. Your dad could see how good Charlie would be for me, love. And he is good, and he makes me very happy. My heart can still love your dad and my memories of him while it lets me be in love with Charlie."

Gus threw his head back, his eyes shut tightly as he sobbed, "Mum, stop…"

Before Elsie could answer, Rose was on her feet, her hands on either side of Gus's face. "Gus, look at me." Waiting until his red eyes were open, she leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "I haven't known many good men in my life, Gussy. You know that, but that changed when I met you because you are this like incredible boyfriend who actually cares about me and wants to be with me all the time, which totally never happened with other boyfriends, and then because of you I have gotten to know Charlie who is amazing because even though he could just stay home or not answer his phone, anytime we've needed something, like when we needed help setting up the Halloween party or like putting up that tv in your mum's bedroom, and when that mean cat got stuck in the street lamp and he let it scratch him all up, I mean even after he was bleeding and all sweaty, he still saved that asshole cat." She turned her head and gave Charles a loving smile before moving to Elsie which caused her bottom lip to tremble. "And your mum, Gus. I didn't know people could be as good as your mum and she's the best person I know, so you have to open your heart to them, babe, you have to because whether you like it or not, we need them."

Gus leaned back, sighing as he looked up at her, "Rose…"

"No, let me finish. We need them because you know my mum is rubbish..."

"We're doing alright, Rose. We don't need to rely on your mum or my mum or Charlie…"

"Oh, cheese'n'rice! Would you please let me finish, Atticus Burns! We need them because my mum is going to be a shit grandmother and this baby we're going to have needs at least one set of good grandparents!"

"What?" Gus and Elsie exclaimed at the same time, both looking at Rose before moving to the other.

"We're going to have a baby, Gussy."

"For real?" he asked through a stream of fresh tears as he moved his gaze to her belly, a gentle hand reaching out to rest on it.

"For real."

On her feet and swiftly moving around the table, Elsie gave Charlie's shoulder a squeeze as she passed on her way to the couple. "Oh, Rose, oh, love, this is wonderful!"

"I'm going to be a dad, Mum!"

Rose shifting a bit as Gus stood, he was able to wrap his arms around both women, the three of them laughing and crying as a smiling Charles watched for a moment before slipping back into the kitchen area.

The hug finally breaking up, the trio were wiping their eyes and noses when Elsie noticed Charles was no longer at the table.

"Love?"

Charles back to them, Gus watched his mother take a step in the man's direction, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Let me," he offered before making his way toward the refrigerator where he found Charles pulling out the half a bottle of champagne he and Elsie had opened earlier.

"Charlie…"

Before Gus could continue, Charles held out his hand, "Congratulations, mate. I'm so hap-"

It was Gus who now interrupted Charles by wrapping his arms around the larger man's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Charlie. I won't pretend that this isn't hard, but Rose is right. We do need you and I was wrong to say those things to you because you deserve to be happy, I mean, everyone does but especially my mum and you after the last couple of years of dad being sick."

"And so do you, Gus, and don't ever want to be the reason you aren't so I want to do and to be as little or as much as you need me to be. Please just let me know if you ever think I am over-stepping my ground or sticking this big nose where it doesn't belong."

Looking over his shoulder to find his mum and Rose's arms around each other as they watched the scene in front of the refrigerator, he turned back to Charles and whispered, "Just keep being Charlie. That's all you have to do because we're lucky to have you, and, as usual, my dad was right. If you nd Mum make each other happy, then that's all that matters."

* * *

The gift of the house brought on another shower of tears, Charlie's included, as he, Gus, and Elsie spent the next hour sharing with Rose stories from Gus's childhood over the half bottle of champagne and a second bottle of water for Rose. Glasses and bottle empty, Elsie and Gus volunteered to go to the kitchen while Rose and Charles perused the album collection to find fun music for what had become quite a celebration.

Hand resting on the refrigerator handle, Gus turned abruptly to look at his mother. "I'm sorry I was an asshat, Mum."

Pulling him to her, she laughed as she gave him a tight squeeze before leaning back to look up at him. "It's alright, Gus-Gus. I understand, I really do."

"And I'm not trying to stir the pot by saying this, but I do wish Dad was here."

A sad smile breaking, Elsie rested her cheek over his heart as she admitted, "Oh, me, too, sweetheart. I'd give anything for him to be standing here with us right this minute. He'd be over the moon, Gus. Over the moon."

She felt him tense up and prepared herself for the sob she knew would soon follow as he cried, "He'd have been the best grandad."

"You're right," she managed through a tight throat and her own tears. "He would have."

They held onto one another for a good minute as they waited for the wave of grief to pass.

"God, it just hits you sometimes, doesn't it?" he asked, as he let one arm fall so he could get them each a paper towel from a nearby dispenser.

"And knocks you to the ground," she agreed.

The sound of Rose's giggle drifted into the kitchen which brought a smile to Gus's face. "And then I hear her laugh and somehow everything's okay."

Elsie lightened the mood even more as she responded, "Yes, she's pretty wonderful. Especially the way she wasn't putting up with your shit when you first got here."

Gus couldn't help but laugh. "I know. She's all unicorns and candy floss most of the time, but don't cross her. She's can go from angel to demon at the drop of a hat."

As though she had planned it, a brightly smiling Rose suddenly bopped into the kitchen as the four boys from Liverpool began to sing "She Loves You." "Come on, Gussy! I want to dance before my belly gets too big for it!"

Smiling as she watched the young lovers dance out of the room, Elsie turned her attention back to the refrigerator where she began stacking the take-out containers onto an empty shelf. Reaching for the last box, she felt a large, warm hand slide up and down her back. The last carton in place, she straightened up and closed the door before looking over her shoulder. "That feels nice."

"Good." He moved both hands to her shoulders to massage away a few tension knots which had built over the eventful evening. "I haven't had you to myself since the big announcement," he whispered in her ear. "How do you feel, Grandma?"

Halting the movements of his hands by placing hers over his, she leaned back so that their bodies were pressed together. "I feel overjoyed. Although I think that is a crappy term. How can someone be overjoyed? I think there isn't a limit to how much joy you can feel because as happy as I am right now, I can't even fathom how happy I'll be to hold that baby in my arms."

"I wish Joe was here."

She gave his fingers a squeeze before turning around and wrapping her arms around his middle. "That's what Gus and I were just talking about."

"He'd be on the roof shouting for all and sundry to hear, "I'm going to be a grandad!"

She smiled, although her heart pulled slightly as she pictured a smiling, happy Joe.

"I was doing the math and if Rose is just about two months along, the baby will be born around his birthday, and you know, whether it's a boy or a girl, they could name it either Joseph after him or Josephine after both him and Josie. I mean, if they wanted to, I just think it would just be nice to have another Joe in that house."

Leaning back, she pulled his face down for a kiss. "You're the loveliest man, Charlie Carson."

"And you're the loveliest lady," he countered as he began to gently sway with her.

They danced for a bit until Elsie suddenly said, "We've not discussed when we'd move in here."

No idea of how she felt on the matter, he stammered a bit. "Well, it's just here…I mean, there's no rush, but…it's...well, I thought I'd move in fairly soon so I could be closer to your house until you are ready, and I…well, I suppose Gus and Rose will want to set up house at yours before she gets too far…anyway, but, I mean whatever you think."

Finding his stumbling about on the subject rather endearing, she bit her bottom lip in an effort not to giggle, and managed a rather Cheshire Cat grin as she casually said, "Well, I can have my clothes and basic things packed up over the next few days which means this weekend would work pretty well, if that suits you?"

He stared at her for a moment, his mouth open before he whispered, "I don't believe I can be hearing you right."

She shrugged and raised her eyebrows. "You are if you heard me say I was ready to move in this weekend."

"If you're sure?" he asked, the words barely making their way out of his suddenly dry throat.

"I've never been so sure of anything."

"Well, then. This weekend."

A waive of panic struck her as it dawned that maybe he wasn't ready for her to move in so quickly. "I mean, I don't mean to be presumptuous, Charlie. You may not want me so soon. It doesn't have to…"

Letting out a huff, he shook his head as he smiled down at her. "I'd go get your things now if you wanted, Elsie. I'm thrilled you want to move in this weekend."

She held his gaze for a moment before owning the courage to say, "I don't know about all my things, but I could nip home and get my phone charger and an overnight bag, and clothes for tomorrow."

He was unable to respond as a breathless Gus and Rose suddenly entered the room, bright smiles on their faces as Gus announced, "It's getting late, so I think I better get Cinderella home before she turns into a pumpkin."

"Oh, I don't think I'll turn into a pumpkin for like at least three or four more months, silly!"

"Well, congratulations again! I could not be more thrilled!" Elsie left a still speechless Charles standing in the middle of the floor as she made her way to give the kids hugs and kisses.

"Well, don't just stand there, you big donut!" Rose teased Charles. "Come give me a hug while you can still get your arms around me."

Still reeling from Elsie's offer, he managed to put one foot in front of the other and smile as he gave them each a hug. "It's wonderful. Really just so, so wonderful."

The young couple making their way towards the front of the house and quite oblivious to the conversation which had just occurred, Gus playfully called over his shoulder, "You just better do whatever it takes to make my mum happy, Charlie."

Looking back at Charles who was trailing behind her, Elsie raised her eyebrows suggestively, unable to keep from giggling as she watched his cheeks turned a distinct rosy color.

* * *

The taillights of Gus and Rose's car disappearing as they turned the corner, Elsie and Charles were stood on the porch, each waiting for the other to say something.

Fearing she might catch hypothermia if they waited any longer, she turned to face him head on, her hands on her hips and her chin jutted out. "Well, Charles Ernest Carson, I believe there is a decision to make."

Rather than answering her, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the house.

Stunned to say the least, it took her a moment to follow. "Charlie? Where did you go?" She had only made it as far as the entry into the sitting room when he suddenly appeared with her coat and his keys.

"Well, don't just stand there. You've a bag to pack and a phone charger to retrieve, madam."

Turning so she could slip her arms into her coat, she felt her own cheeks burning as she broke into a smile she couldn't have forced off her face if she tried.

* * *

Over the next few days and months they would make decisions about what furniture to keep and how to arrange it, and what colors to paint the walls, and which carpets to rip up and whose electric kettle they'd keep, and where he'd park his car and where hers would go, but for this night, the only thing either of them cared about was not being in the bed where his mother had died and the fact that each was about to see the other naked.

Having taken a shower, shaved, and brushed his teeth, he found she was still occupied in his mother's ensuite as he emerged from the bathroom off the large bedroom which had been considered his since his parents had moved into the house during his last year of university.

Wearing a pair of pajama pants over which he'd tied his dressing gown, he hoped she didn't find it off-putting that he slept bare-chested. This thought, along with a myriad of others including which side of the bed she would want, if she'd let him hold her while they slept, and the fact that he hadn't had sex in four years inspired him to break into nervous pacing.

While Charles' heavy tread could be heard in the corridor, Elsie was unaware as she engaged in her own nervous practice of inspecting every inch of her body, her current focus on her stomach which was decidedly less toned than the last time she could remember wearing a bikini in front of him the year before Gus was born.

"What have you gotten yourself into, girl," she whispered to her reflection.

Glancing down at her phone for the time, she quickly figured out that at this point she was looking at getting around five hours of sleep at the most, so she gave herself a stern look and flatly said, "Get a move on, Elsie." Spritzing on a bit of perfume on the back of her neck, she quickly gargled a second mouthful of mouthwash before running her hands over the front of her satin pajamas, wondering briefly if she'd made the wrong choice given that her nipples were clearly defined by the fluid-like material. Running the palm of her hand over her right breast, she felt a warmth spread in her belly which was followed by a flock of butterflies taking flight as she ran her other hand over her panty-less backside.

One last look in the mirror, she was turning to leave the room, when the sound of Charles' voice from the other side of the door made her jump.

"Do you have everything you need in there? Anything I can get you?"

"No, thanks. I'm just about finished. Just putting some things away."

"Ah, well, good. Alright, well, then…I'll just…I'll leave you to it."

Taking a deep breath, she gave herself one final look in the mirror, silently asking herself how someone who had been married for thirty-five years could suddenly feel like a sixteen-year-old virgin.

* * *

He was mid-pace when she appeared in the door way, her phone and charger in her hands as she smiled timidly and whispered. "Hi."

He returned her greeting with an equally timid smile and a soft, "Hello."

"Umm…where should I plug this in? It's my alarm clock, as well, so I'll need it nearby to shut off in the morning."

"Oh, well, let's see. There are outlets on either side of the bed. I wasn't sure if you had a preferred side?"

"Ah, umm…it doesn't really matter. I don't usually get up in the night, so I don't necessarily need to be near the lav, but if you'd prefer that side…"

"No, that's fine. I'm up two or three times. My age," he admitted with a slightly embarrassed grin.

"Well, good. So, I'll take the left."

They had to cross paths for her to reach the far side of the bed which resulted in an awkward dance as they both moved in the same direction three times before she managed to make her way around.

Her phone plugged in and alarm checked she turned around to find him still stood on the far side of the bed, his arms behind his back, hands tightly clasped. "Everything alright?"

"Yes. Sorry, I just didn't know if, well how you wanted to…"

Twisting back towards the side table, she reached up and turned off the light as she offered, "I've found it usually happens most successfully if the people involved are at least within arm's reach."

Watching her pull back her side of the bedclothes and slide beneath the covers, he had to remind himself to breathe as he slipped off his dressing gown before making his way to his own side and repeating her actions.

Each now flat on their backs in the darkness, Elsie was considering telling him there was no need for them to feel pressured into do anything more than holding one another when she felt Charles' hand land on her wrist.

"If you change your mind, or if you want to stop, or, well, anything, please just say. It won't hurt my feelings. I know this has to be..."

Pushing herself up so that her weight rested on the elbow closest to him, she laid her free hand on his chest as she leaned over him. "You're so sweet, Charlie. Now please shut up and make love to me."

* * *

In all of his dreams over the years, his subconscious had imagined what it would be like to make love to her but in every instance the sensations had been muted, amalgamations of past partners and past experiences but this, this night with his senses rooted firmly in reality, he could appreciate and savor the feel of her silky skin, the plump sweetness of her nipples as he lavished them with his tongue's attention, and the warm velvet into which he slid, quite certain the heavens and nirvanas promised to the most devout of followers could never offer the feeling of perfected completeness he experienced while moving inside her.

She, in turn, had initially feared the experience would be marred by feelings of guilt and betrayal, but there was nothing about this experience with Charles that remotely resembled the sex life she had shared with Joe, which had been wonderful, but felt distant and almost part of a former life as she let loose of her inhibitions and gave herself over to Charlie completely.

As clothes were shed and bodies explored, she found his size was a tremendous turn on, making her feel petite and rather precious as he moved cautiously, yet deliberately in an effort to make her feel both cherished and worshipped.

Few words were exchanged outside of "Oh" and "Ah" and "Oh, my God," so he knew she was nearing her climax when he heard her whispered chant of "Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, oh, Charlie."

Speeding up and increasing the intensity of his movements, he orgasmed only seconds after she did, the convulsions of her inner muscles drawing out the intensity of his climax so that he was still spilling inside her as he rolled over so that she was on top as they eventually each fought to catch their breath as their respective blood flows settled back into pace with their slowing pulses.

Her lips caressing his neck, she chuckled softly and murmured into his ear, "The day after half the school sees me holding your hand, I suppose they won't have to wonder why I'm wearing a ridiculously wide smile all day tomorrow."

Reveling in the feel of her gentle weight atop his body, his hand traced a curved pattern down her spine and onto her bum as he made a far more sentimental comment. "If I didn't wake in the morning, my life would have been worth living just to have spent this night with you, Elsie."

"Sweet man," she whispered before snuggling against him. "We have so many nights ahead of us, Charles Carson. From here on out we eat healthy and regularly exercise because I fully plan on having years of nights like this with you."

"I love you."

"Love you, too."

* * *

Richard married Isobel on a warm day in May, in Elsie and Charles' backyard, everything beautifully going to plan until Rose's water broke and Joseph Charles Burns made a speedy entrance into the world in his Pops and Gram's bedroom as a merry wedding party danced to the Beatles and the Beach Boys below the window.

* * *

Bright eyed and smiling, six-month-old,Joey Burns was on hand to watch his grandparents marry late in the afternoon of November 3, 2018, in the church in which had had been baptized on the same day his parents had wed three months earlier.

Stand heaters providing enough warmth to keep even the oldest and youngest wedding attendees comfortable in the couples' large, beautifully landscaped backyard, Joey, thoroughly captivated by the furry creatures which danced above his Pops' eyes, was dancing in the arms of his grandparents who took turns holding him and onto one another as the trio moved slowly among the couples clinging to one another as Adele sang "Make You Feel My Love."

Watching her new husband make funny faces at their grandson, Elsie couldn't help but smile as she asked, "How you doing, Pops? No regrets?"

Not moving his focus from the baby, Charles answered his new wife by addressing the baby. "Gram wants to know if I have any regrets, Joey. You tell her not a single one."

"I see, so that's how this works. Alright, well, baby, ask Pops if he thinks he'll be able to consummate this marriage after the number of toasts that were given tonight."

Grinning, Charles leaned down, his gaze moving to his wife as he spoke into the baby's ear. "Tell Grams that Pops happens to have a full prescription of little blue helpers if it comes to that, but if she doubts his virility, he's happy to throw her over his shoulder and take her upstairs right now so he can have his wicked way with her."

Holding his gaze, she grinned in delight as she noted, "Yes, well, Pops hasn't let me down yet, so I think I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, Joey-Joe."

Shifting the baby securely into one arm, he used his free one to pull her closer to him. "You'll become more familiar with her as you grow older, but we happen to be dancing with the woman your Grandpa Joe referred to as "Miss Sassy Pants."

Gasping, Elsie gave his bottom a playful swat. "Don't tell him that!"

"Why not? She's one of my favorite people is Miss Sassy Pants."

Their silly exchange coincided with the baby yawning which was followed by a small bit of fussing as he fought against the tug the sandman was giving his eye lids.

"Oh, dear."

Elsie took the baby from him, patting the little one's back as she glanced about for one of his parents. "It's been a long day, hasn't it, my little love?"

Her motherly sixth sense kicking in, Rose soon appeared at their side, cooing as she pulled the baby against her, his little face rooting for the milk he could smell was waiting for him. "It's a bit late so I think we'll head home, if that's alright?"

"Of course, love," Elsie assured her with a sweet smile before kissing the young mother's cheek. "Thank you for standing with me today."

"It was my honor and privilege," Rose answered before stretching up to give Charles' cheek a kiss. "Congratulations, Pops. We'll see you a week from Monday. Have a wonderful time in Spain."

The baby having received multiple kisses from his grandparents before Rose slipped off the dance floor with him, the newlyweds had only danced a minute or so when Gus suddenly appeared at their side. "Looks like we're going to take our sleepy one home. Just wanted to give you both a hug."

"Thank you for all your help setting up today, love." Elsie wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a squeeze.

"Of course. I'll come by in the morning before eight so I'm here when the rental companies come to pick up the tables and heaters and chairs and stuff."

"Thank you, sweetheart."

"Charlie," Gus opened his arms, welcoming a hug from his new stepfather, although his connection with the man felt far deeper than two grown men who had only recently become related.

"Best Man." Wrapping his arms around the younger man, he whispered, "Lovely speech. It was so nice, Gus. Your mum and I were both so touched and pleased."

"I meant every word."

"No one I'd rather have had by my side today, and I don't mean to make it awkward, but I felt your dad with us today. I really did."

"Not awkward at all, Charles. He was there. I know it. For mum, for you, for Joey, and for me. He's with us all whenever we want him to be."

* * *

Josie and Michael left not long after Gus and Rose, each on surprisingly good behavior, a testament to the new medication which had allowed Josie to sleep through the night, which resulted in the same opportunity for Michael.

"It's nice when good things happen to good people. We're so happy for you, girl, and you, Charlie. Joe's smiling down on you both today, I just know it."

Touched by Michael's words, Elsie had managed to keep her composure until she glanced over to find Charles wiping his eyes.

* * *

Elsie had said goodnight to the Pelham family, Noah even granting her a twirl around the dance floor before insisting on sitting on Charles' lap to play with his eyebrows, while the most dapper by far of the wedding guest attendees were med student Sam and his partner Thomas, a striking lad with dark hair and impeccable manners. Outside of Charles, the two men had been, by far, her favorite dancing partners of the evening.

* * *

The reveling still going strong as midnight approached, Charles had promised Elsie two more dances before they said their goodbyes and left Richard and Isobel to take over hosting duties.

She was still dizzy from his spinning her into and away from him as the DJ had played "I Want to Hold Your Hand," the first of his two requests, so the slow opening of the second song was welcome. Wrapping her arms around his neck, their eyes locked as a familiar deep voice began to sing:

 _The night is like a lovely tune_

 _Beware my foolish heart_

 _How light the ever-constant moon_

 _Take care, my foolish heart…_

Leaning down, his warm breath tickled her ear as he whispered, "Are you excited about our trip?"

Her fingers running through his hair, she kissed his neck before answering, "I am, although I don't care where we go or what we do as long as I'm with you."

His thoughts suddenly went to an unexpected place. "You probably don't remember a bouquet of lilies and eucalyptus that was left on your front table the day of Joe's funeral, do you?"

Immediately picturing the bouquet to which he referred, she nodded.

"I don't suppose you read the card."

"Of course, I did. It was a bit of a seed that card."

His fingers explored the delicate cloth covered buttons that climbed up the back of her ivory lace dress as he pondered her meaning. "Bit of a seed? What do you mean?"

"I kept it on my bedside table for the longest time and it's in my jewelry box now."

A warm bloom occurred in his chest to know she had wanted to keep his card, but he was still curious about this seed business. "Why a seed, darling?"

"It planted the seed in my mind that I had you and I always would. Anytime. Anyplace. Anywhere. And I realized that on the worst day of my life, something gave me hope and that hope was you."

"Oh, love…"

"Shhh…just hold me, Charlie. This is the best bit." Encouraging him to lean down, she kissed his cheek before singing along with Johnny Hartman.

 _For this time it isn't fascination_

 _Or a dream that will fade and fall apart_

 _It's love, this time it's love_

 _My Foolish Heart…_

 _-break-_

15K + _words. Jiminy Christmas!_

 _I regretted starting writing this story about half-way through the second chapter, but have to say that about 3K words into this one, I was feeling sad that it was approaching the close._

 _Love to all of you who took the time to read and bless those who took the time to brighten my day with a review._

 _This was a challenge given how lovely Joe supposedly was and how very much everyone loved him, but I am ultimately pleased with how these two managed to get together given their unusual circumstances._

 _Again, thank you for buying into Rosamunde being a giant witch and Gus less than sweet all the time. I have no excuse for Gus other than I needed a young man who seemed feasible as an offspring of Elsie's, as well as Rose serving as a lovely comic foil. As for Roz, well, I have always been rubbed the wrong way in how elitist she was at the party thrown in the servants' hall when Elsie and Charles returned from their honeymoon, so that explains my choice of painting her as a Cruella DeVille of sorts._

 _Hope I didn't offend too many with the intimacy portrayed towards the end, but I like a bit of pretty smut, myself, so there you go._

 _All of the music referred to is available on Youtube if you care to listen. And I still urge you to watch Mum if you can find it. I believe both series are out on DVD._

 _You are all so incredibly lovely. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!_

 _-Jenny_


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